- Date
- March 15, 2011, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mesquite, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N74291Bellanca 14-13-2
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110315005389A
- Case key
- 78552
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 malfunction of the brake system which led to the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the airplane had not been flown in several months, and during the preflight inspection, he found that the brake fluid reservoir was empty. He filled the reservoir and noted that the braking performance was good during taxi for takeoff. At the destination airport, the pilot chose to perform a practice short field landing. He immediately applied the brakes after touchdown but there was no braking action. He then vigorously pumped the brakes in an attempt to still make a short field landing. The right brake suddenly functioned, but the left brake remained inoperative. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway to the right as there was insufficient rudder effectiveness to straighten the airplane's tracking. The left wing impacted an airport perimeter fence damaging the wing and the lift strut. Additionally, the left main landing gear collapsed under the fuselage, and the right main landing gear splayed outward. The pilot stated that he could have easily made the midfield turnoff with no brakes.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane had not been flown in several months, and during the preflight inspection, he found that the brake fluid reservoir was empty. The pilot filled the reservoir and reported good braking during taxi for takeoff. At the destination airport, the pilot chose to perform a practice short field landing. The pilot stated that he immediately applied the brakes after touchdown but there was no braking action. He then vigorously pumped the brakes in an attempt to still make a short field landing. The pilot reported that the right brake suddenly functioned, but the left one did not. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway to the right as there was insufficient rudder effectiveness to straighten the airplane's tracking. The left wing impacted an airport perimeter fence damaging the wing and the lift strut. Additionally, the left main landing gear collapsed under the fuselage, and the right main landing gear splayed outward. The pilot stated that he could have easily made the midfield turnoff with no brakes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74291
- Reported as
- Bellanca 14-13-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1404
- Airframe hours
- 2,035
- Engine
- Franklin GA4-165-B3, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Frank N. Partridge
- Registered owner
- Frank N. Partridge
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 15, 2010
- Departed
- AZ50 · White Hills, AZ
- Destination
- 67L · Mesquite, NV
- Airport
- 67L · Mesquite Airport, runway 01, 5,121 × 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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- November 14, 1997
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 800 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- VGT, 60 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 13, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 302 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.