- Date
- August 23, 1992, 08:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3201UNorth American NA-64
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920823032829A
- Case key
- 27743
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Leakage of brake fluid from an unknown source onto the brake lining and drum.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot said that during landing the aircraft began turning to the left. He attempted to correct the turning tendency with right rudder and brake application; however, the aircraft suddenly ground looped and collapsed the main landing gear. The brakes were examined and brake fluid was observed on the brake drum and lining. Disassembly of the left brake cylinder revealed deep corrosion pits on the interior surface of the cylinder. Due to the manufacture date of the airplane, vegetable base (automotive) brake fluid is used. It was reported that unlike mineral base brake fluid used in modern aircraft, 'vegetable base fluid will not tolerate high temperature and will cause a brake lining to 'grab' the drum during heavy brake application.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3201U
- Reported as
- North American NA-64
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 64-2202
- Engine
- Wright R-975-E3, 440 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Albert Pemberton, doing business as Pemberton Aircraft Fuel Svc
- Registered owner
- Pemberton Aircraft Fuel Svc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 23, 1992 · 14 hours before
- Airport
- BFL · Meadows Field, runway 30R, 10,857 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 10 in this make and model · 2,100 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.