Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Buffalo Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Amarillo, Texas 79111
Saturday, December 20, 2003 16:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 1,073-hour pilot reported that during his preflight inspection prior to the accident flight, he observed a red fluid seeping from the belly of the aircraft. The pilot stated this was "becoming a common occurrence, requiring him to fill the brake reservoir frequently." The pilot checked the brakes prior to starting the engine and had no problems holding the airplane still with brakes during the engine run up. Unsatisfied with the landing on runway 20 (a 5,500-foot long and 124-foot wide turf runway), the pilot decided to make a touch-n-go landing without the use of the brakes. During the second landing, "all was well until the ground roll, at an approximate speed of 50 miles per hour." The aircraft started to veer to the right, and the pilot applied left brake. As the speed reduced, the aircraft began to ground loop, shearing off the left landing gear at the fuselage. Examination of the aircraft brake system by the pilot revealed hydraulic fluid was leaking the reservoir cap on the left brake master cylinder (Cessna Aircraft Illustrated Parts Catalog Part Number 0411302-21) in the area where the mounting lug (Part Number 0411302-8) bolts onto the reservoir cap.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The leakage of the left brake master cylinder cap, which resulted in the loss of hydraulic fluid and the failure of the left brake.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/20/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Amarillo |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 79111 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 350354N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1015245W |
| Event Location Airport | Buffalo Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 1E7 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3640 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AMA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3607 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.94 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 4952 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15169 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 22 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2004 8:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Lubbock FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6850D |
| NTSB Number | FTW04LA049 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 195B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 16026 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3350 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 8 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 19 |
| Airframe Hours | 2420 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Robert William Lea |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4402 Alicia Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Amarillo |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79109 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 1E7 |
| Departure City | Amarillo |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 1E7 |
| Destination City | Amarillo |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 31 2004 1:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 20 |
| Runway Length | 5500 |
| Runway Width | 124 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |