LAX97LA200

The purpose of the flight was to take aerial photograph's of the Moravan Z242L, N7ZA, from the Beech E35, N7354B, with the Moravan as the lead plane on takeoff. The pilot of the Moravan announced his intentions over Unicom and proceeded to taxi. The pilot of the Moravan noticed the Beech had begun to pull forward and that there appeared to be no braking action from the other pilot. Prior to the taxi, the cameraman in the Beech asked to sit in the left seat. The pilot moved the control yoke over to the right side and visually checked the right side rudder pedals and ascertained that they looked capable for braking because of the similar appearance to the left side rudder pedals. Prior to the accident, the pilot of the Beech had attended a 2-hour seminar for this aircraft and no brake idiosyncrasies had been mentioned. After engine start, as he was looking at the checklist, the pilot noticed that his aircraft was moving forward. He attempted to stop the aircraft before it collided with the Moravan, but was unable to make the brakes function. There are no brakes installed on the right side rudder pedals of the Beech.

On June 5, 1997, at 1300 hours Pacific daylight time, a Moravan Z242L, N7ZA, was struck on the right wing by a Beech E35, N7354B, while taxiing from the ramp area at the Jean Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada. The Moravan was substantially damaged, and the airline transport rated pilot was not injured. The Beech sustained minor damage, and the commercial instrument rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the aerial photo shoot flight, and no flight plan was filed.

The pilot of the Moravan reported that he announced his intentions to taxi to runway 20R on the Jean Unicom. He started his taxi, following the yellow line to the right, and noticed that the Beech had just started the engine as he came abeam the aircraft. The pilot said that he noticed that the Beech was also pulling forward and that there appeared to be no braking action. The pilot stated that he pushed in the throttle of the Moravan to try to get past the Beech while also moving off to the left side of the taxiway.

The pilot of the Beech reported that aerial photographs were to be taken of the Moravan from his aircraft. The cameraman asked if he could sit in the left front seat to take pictures out of the left side window. The pilot stated that he moved the control yoke over to the right side and that the rudder pedals looked ". . .visually capable for braking because they had the same appearance as the left side rudder pedals." He stated that he had not read anything in the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) stating that there were no brakes on the right side.

Prior to the accident, the pilot of the Beech had attended a 2-hour seminar for this aircraft and said no "brake idiosyncrasies" had been mentioned. The pilot reported that he performed the "before start checklist" and that he noticed that the Moravan was taxing by him. In his written statement he said, "with the parking brake and brakes set I engaged the starter. . .I was watching the engine gauges and noticed from my peripheral vision that I was moving forward slightly. . .I immediately stepped on the brakes harder, but I was still moving forward. The ramp was down sloped slightly and I began to move at a faster rate." The pilot reported that he pulled the mixture to idle cutoff, and as he was turning the aircraft to the right to avoid the Moravan, the propeller struck the right wing on the Moravan. The left wing tip of the Beech then contacted the vertical stabilizer of the Moravan.

An Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the Las Vegas, Nevada, Flight Standards District Office examined the aircraft and reported that the ". . .pilot of the Bonanza could not stop his aircraft as he was flying from the right seat which has no pedal brake control." The FAA inspector established flight control and engine continuity with no preimpact discrepancies noted.