- Date
- November 15, 1988, 12:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Latrobe, PA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N30FAGrumman AA-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881115050699A
- Case key
- 36336
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
Loss of directional control while taxiing at an excessive speed.
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 was under the control of a recently certificated private pilot, taxiing for departure. He said he was taxiing 6-8 mph and when he tried the brakes the left one failed and the right worked, veering the aircraft off the taxiway and down an embankment. The FAA submitted a drawing showing that the aircraft left 31 feet of skid marks on the runway and slid an additional 42 feet on a grassy area prior to going down the embankment. When the aircraft was examined it was noted that the brake pedals would bleed down if slight pressure was held on them. However, they would recover with one pump of the brakes. The pilot had 2.5 hours in make and model with 1.1 hours as pilot in command. The FAA examiner who flew with this plt on 2-5-88 for his private plt checkride made a criticism that the plt taxied too fast.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30FA
- Reported as
- Grumman AA-5
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5-01013
- Airframe hours
- 2,601
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephen A. Alber
- Registered owner
- D&G Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 27, 1988 · 110 hours before
- Departed
- AGC · W. Mifflin, PA
- Destination
- LBE · Latrobe, PA
- Airport
- LBE · Westmoreland Co., runway 23, 7,001 × 100 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 63 total · 3 in this make and model · 28 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LBE
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.