- Date
- October 22, 1994, 15:25 local (19:25 UTC)
- Place
- Mulberry, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7679Schweizer SGS 1-34
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941022038429A
- Case key
- 37689
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
The failure of the pilot-in-command to perform an adequate preflight inspection resulting in a leaking brake going undetected. This resulted in the failure of the brake due to loss of hydraulic fluid and collision with a sign and a ditch when the aircraft could not be stopped during landing rollout.
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 aircraft's wheel brake failed during landing rollout. The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft before colliding with a sign and coming to rest in a ditch. The wheel brake cylinder was found to be leaking after the accident and all hydraulic fluid had leaked out. The pilot did not check the hydraulic fluid level before flight.
Factual narrative
On October 22, 1994, about 1525 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer, SGS 1-34, registered to Tampa Bay Soaring Society, lost the brake and collided with a sign post on landing at the South Lakeland Airport, Mulberry, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the commercial-rated pilot was not injured. The flight originated at Mulberry, Florida, on October 22, 1994, about 1505.
The pilot stated the aircraft touched down about midfield during landing. About 200 feet from the end of the runway, while the glider was moving at a quick walking pace, he applied the brake, which had no effect. He directed the glider to an open area to the right of the runway and the glider struck a sign post and came to rest in a drainage ditch. He stated the brake cylinder developed a leak and lost all hydraulic fluid, and that he did not check the brake fluid before the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7679
- Reported as
- Schweizer SGS 1-34
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 59
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tampa Bay Soaring Society
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 23, 1994 · 143 hours before
- Airport
- X49 · South Lakeland, runway 14, 4,025 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 410 total · 5 in this make and model · 355 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F
- Observed at
- 1 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.
Other investigations on N7679 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.