Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ramona Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ramona, California 92065
Sunday, April 10, 2011 8:28 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that while conducting a series of touch-and-go takeoffs and landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, he heard a loud snap sound during his third takeoff followed by the upper left rudder pedal collapsing. The pilot verified that he had rudder control and noticed that the upper left rudder pedal seemed displaced forward of its normal position. He further noticed that the left rudder pedal was binding at various times, but overall was operational, and thus suspected that the left brake master cylinder had disconnected from the rudder pedal. The pilot said that every time he applied left rudder during the landing the airplane veered to the left as if left brake was being applied. Despite his control inputs, the airplane exited the left side of the runway and nosed over within the soft muddy terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left brake master cylinder was separated from the left rudder pedal at the rudder attach point. Examination of the left rudder pedal and master cylinder revealed that the left rudder pedal was fractured at the lug where it attached to the upper end of the brake master cylinder. The fracture surface was consistent with an overstress fracture. The fracture surface was examined by an NTSB metallurgist using a scanning electron microscope and no evidence of fatigue or other progressive crack growth was observed. The lower surface of the brake master cylinder attachment lug on the left rudder pedal had an impression corresponding to contact with the lower end of the clevis of the left master brake cylinder attachment fitting. A similar impression was observed on the lower surface of the brake master cylinder attachment lug on the right rudder pedal. Deformation consistent with contacting the lower surface of the rudder pedal lugs was observed at the base of the clevis in the upper attachment fittings of both the left and right brake master cylinders.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll due to the overload separation of the left brake master cylinder from the left rudder pedal assembly.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/10/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 828 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Ramona |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92065 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 320221N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1165454W |
| Event Location Airport | Ramona Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RNM |
| 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 | 1395 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KRNM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1395 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.25 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KRNM 101553Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 09/04 A3025 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28723 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2011 7:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N611JB |
| NTSB Number | WPR11LA205 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BENNETT |
| Aircraft Model | MIDJET MUSTANG I |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 500 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1125 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 16 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 153 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ARCHIBALD WILLIAMS HALL JR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Fort Pierce |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34949 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | ARCHIBALD WILLIAMS HALL JR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Fort Pierce |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 34949 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | RNM |
| Departure City | Romona |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 810 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | RNM |
| Destination City | Romona |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2011 7:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | 5001 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |