- Date
- October 18, 2000, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Jesup, GA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N47881Piper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report August 21, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20001018017189A
- Case key
- 50497
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
A total failure of the wheel braking system due to the pilot's improper use of braking in downwind, downhill conditions, resulting in overheated brakes, and subsequent encounter with a downslope and terrain collision.
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 made the statement, which was substantiated by an aircraft inspector witness, that he was taxing eastbound on runway 10 for a westbound depart on runway 28. The wind was about 8 knots on his tail, the taxi route was downhill, and he had full fuel, one passenger, and luggage for two aboard. When he came to the run-up area for runway 28, his brakes failed and the aircraft ran off the hardtop and down a 35 to 45-degree embankment. Examination of the aircraft revealed damage to the cowling, propeller, a collapsed nose gear, and lower longeron buckling. Postacrash, the brakes operated normally, but showed sings of extreme heat.
Factual narrative
On October 18, 2000, about 1230 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N47881, registered to Zeller Aircraft Corporation, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, ran off the runway run-up area prior to takeoff at the Jesup-Wayne County Airport, Jesup, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage, and the private-rated pilot and a passenger suffered minor injuries.
According to the pilot, he was taxiing on the runway to the pretakeoff run-up area when his brakes lost effectiveness. With what little directional control remaining, to avoid runway construction equipment and personnel straight ahead, he veered off the pavement to his right and down an embankment. He stated that the surface winds were, 280 to 290 degrees at 8 knots, and that the runway sloped downard as he taxied eastward. He stated the damage to the aircraft to be a smashed cowling and collapsed nose landing gear.
An aircraft inspector on the field confirmed damage to the longerons behind the firewall, in addition to the damage reported by the pilot. He added that the aircraft had been loaded with full fuel, a passenger, and luggage for two at the time of the accident.
According to an FAA inspector, examination of the aircraft revealed the brakes system to be intact in proper operating order. The brake disc assemblies revealed evidence of extreme heating.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47881
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7816151
- Airframe hours
- 6,062
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Zeller Aircraft Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 6, 2000 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- JES · Jesup, GA
- Destination
- LZU · Lawrenceville, GA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- JES · Jesup-Wayne County, runway 28, 4,920 × 75 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
- 31
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 3, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 80 total · 7 in this make and model · 33 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- AMG, 37 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.