- Date
- January 22, 2004, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- College Park, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N344CDCirrus Design SR-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20040122001039A
- Case key
- 58672
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 loss of hydraulic fluid due to chaffing of a brake line by a strut fairing rivet, resulting in the failure of the braking system.
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
As the airplane touched down on the runway 15, the pilot applied the brakes and the left brake pedal did not respond. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway, proceeded into a grass area, where the left wing struck a VASI assembly before coming to rest upright. Examination of the airplane revealed a small hole in the left landing gear brake line. Further examination of the brake line revealed chafing marks created by a rivet, which was on a strut fairing bracket located adjacent to the brake line. During the airplane's most recent annual inspection, completed about 3 months prior to the accident, chafing was noted on the brake line, and the line was replaced. The strut fairing was installed on the airplane about 1 month prior to the accident. At the time of the strut fairing installation, no chaffing of the brake line was noted.
Factual narrative
On January 22, 2004, at 1030 eastern standard time, a Cirrus SR-22, N344CD, was substantially damaged while landing at the College Park Airport (CGS), College Park, Maryland. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the business flight, which originated at the Atlantic City International Airport, Atlantic City, New Jersey. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, as the airplane touched down on runway 15, a 2,607-foot long asphalt runway, the pilot applied the brakes. The left brake pedal did not respond, and the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. The airplane proceeded into a grass area, and the left wing struck a VASI assembly before coming to rest upright.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed a small hole in the left landing gear brake line. Further examination of the brake line revealed chafing marks created by a rivet, which was on a strut fairing bracket located adjacent to the brake line.
During the airplane's most recent annual inspection, which was completed on October 29, 2003, chafing was noted on the brake line, and subsequently the line was replaced.
On December 29, 2003, maintenance personnel replaced the left main landing gear fairing assembly and standoff. No chaffing of the brake line was noted.
According to a representative of the airplane manufacturer, no further problems with chaffing of brake lines were identified with other airplanes after the accident.
The airplane manufacturer subsequently issued a mandatory Service Bulletin on April 8, 2004, which contained instructions for brake line inspections and installation of anti-chafe spacers to the upper and lower nut-plate clips on the lower strut fairings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N344CD
- Reported as
- Cirrus Design SR-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0156
- Airframe hours
- 700
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cirrus 22 Partners LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 29, 2003 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- ACY · Atlantic City, NJ
- Destination
- CGS · College Park, MD
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CGS · College Park Airport, runway 15, 2,607 × 60 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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 8, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 890 total · 420 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- DCA, 10 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.