- Date
- May 25, 2013, 20:00 local (May 26, 2013, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fruitland, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3932DDressen Escape LS
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130525008329A
- Case key
- 87078
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 pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during the landing roll as a result of the parking brake lever not being positioned in the full off position.
Findings · 2
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
During the takeoff roll, the pilot noted that the airplane was rolling longer than expected and suspicioned that he might have been on the brakes a little. After a short local flight he returned to land at the private airstrip. Right after touchdown, he applied the brakes firmly and then released them as the airplane started down a dip in the runway. The pilot noticed that the brakes did not release and were dragging. As the airplane continued to slow, the tail of the airplane started to rise until the airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted substantially damaging the right wing and lift strut. After exiting the airplane, the pilot attempted to turn the airplane’s wheels and found that they would not turn by hand. The pilot cycled the parking brake valve which fully released the brakes. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
During the takeoff roll, the pilot noted that the airplane was rolling longer than expected and suspicioned that he might have been on the brakes a little. After a short local flight he returned to land at the private airstrip. Right after touchdown, he applied the brakes firmly and then released them as the airplane started down a dip in the runway. The pilot noticed that the brakes did not release and were dragging. As the airplane continued to slow, the tail of the airplane started to rise until the airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted substantially damaging the right wing and lift strut. After exiting the airplane, the pilot attempted to turn the airplane’s wheels and found that they would not turn by hand. The pilot cycled the parking brake valve which fully released the brakes. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3932D
- Reported as
- Dressen Escape LS
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 56
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235L, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald Dressen
- Registered owner
- Donald Dressen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- PVT · Fuitland, ID
- Destination
- PVT · Fuitland, ID
- Airport
- PVT · Personal Airstrip, runway 22, 800 × 20 ft, dirt
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 25, 2012
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,600 total · 56 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- EUL, 25 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 739 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.