- Date
- April 23, 1995, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Clarion, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N978DStinson 108-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 26, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950423049709A
- Case key
- 38951
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 partial failure of the brake 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
The pilot stated that during the landing roll a gust of wind turned the airplane to the left. He applied right brake for correction, but this was ineffective. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway down an embankment and nosed over. Postaccident examination revealed that both brake pedals were spongy. In addition, when the right brake pedal was released slightly and then reapplied, it would bottom out all the way to the floor.
Factual narrative
On April 23, 1995, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Stinson 108-2, N978D, piloted and owned by Dan D. Kibler, on a personal flight, was substantially damaged during landing at Clarion County Airport, Clarion, Pennsylvania. The pilot was not injured. Visual Meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight was being conducted under CFR 14 Part 91.
In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated,
Was making normal landing at Clarion County Airport on runway 6. Airplane was on the runway in a final roll out, when a gust of strong wind caught the left side of tail and turned aircraft to the left. Right brake failed and was unable to make necessary correction to keep airplane on runway....[The] airplane veered to [the] left [and] went down over high embankment and nosed over.
An inspection of the airplane's brake system was performed by Shippenville Aviation, Shippenville, Pennsylvania under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector. The inspection revealed that both brake pedals were slightly spongy. However, when the right pedal was released slightly, and then reapplied, it would bottom out and go to the floor. This test was performed several times, with the same results each time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N978D
- Reported as
- Stinson 108-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2978
- Airframe hours
- 1,535
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4-165-B3, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dan D. Kibler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 7, 1994 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- N97 · Clearfield, PA
- Destination
- 11D
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 11D · Clarion County, runway 6, 4,100 × 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
- 74
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,061 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BVI, 52 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.