- Date
- January 10, 1998, 12:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Orlando, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N48021Cessna 170
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980110000209A
- Case key
- 38444
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
failure of the the left brake to operate, due to a bad o-ring; and subsequent failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing rollout, resulting in a ground loop and subsequent on-ground encounter with terrain.
Analysis
The pilot was making a wheel landing on runway 25 with the wind from 320 degrees at 5 knots. During the landing, the airplane started to veer to the right. Reportedly, the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane continued to the right. Subsequently, the left main gear collapsed, and the left wing collided with the ground and was damaged. During repair, the left brake master cylinder was determined to be inoperative due to a bad o-ring.
Factual narrative
On January 10, 1998, about 1240 eastern standard time, a Cessna 170, N48021, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, ground looped on landing at Orlando Executive Airport, Orlando, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. The flight originated from Leesburg, Florida, about 20 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he was making a wheel landing to runway 25. The airplane started to veer to the right on landing rollout. He did not attempt a go-around. He lost directional control. The airplane continued to the right, collapsed the left main landing gear, and the left wing collided with the ground sustaining structural damage.
The pilot contacted the NTSB on March 23, 1998. He stated his airplane had been repaired and returned to service. During the repair of the airplane by Aeromasters, it was determined that the left brake master cylinder was inoperative due to a bad o-ring.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48021
- Reported as
- Cessna 170
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27087
- Airframe hours
- 10,951
- Engine
- Continental O-300-A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clark L. Morris
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 8, 1997 · 117 hours before
- Departed
- LEE · Leesburg, FL
- Destination
- ORL
- Airport
- ORL · Orlando Executive, runway 25, 5,998 × 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
- 40
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,248 total · 412 in this make and model · 1,144 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORL
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 N48021 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.