Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Roche Harbor Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Roche Harbor, Washington 98250
Friday, May 11, 2012 14:35 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot/owner was conducting a short personal flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The departure, flight, and approach to the paved 30-ft by 3,593-ft runway were all normal, and the wind was calm. The pilot made a normal and uneventful three-point landing, but immediately after touchdown, the airplane veered sharply to the left. The pilot applied full right rudder and some right brake, but he was unable to keep the airplane on the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, traversed an adjacent grassy area, and struck a drainage ditch about 50 ft from the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left brake master cylinder piston rod was damaged such that it could prevent release of brake pressure. The damage was attributed to normal operation of the parking brake, during which a locking lever formed multiple cuts and ridges in the rod, and, under certain conditions, could prevent the free travel required for release of brake pressure. Although the damage to the piston rod would have been detectable by a detailed inspection, its nature, extent, and location limited its ability to be detected under the scope of a typical annual inspection. In addition, the pilot had not had any previous occurrences of dragging or stuck brakes, which would have warranted a more detailed inspection of the brake system components. Once airborne, the pilot had no way to detect, prevent, or eliminate a locked wheel due to this condition.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A damaged brake master cylinder piston rod, which resulted in a landing with the left brake applied. The damage was a result of normal parking brake operation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/11/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1435 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Roche Harbor |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98250 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 483644N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1230818W |
| Event Location Airport | Roche Harbor |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | WA09 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 100 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 135 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FHR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 113 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| 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) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.3 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 33420 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NWM ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2014 1:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | huhm |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N114MK |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA207 |
| 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 | MAULE |
| Aircraft Model | MX-7 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 235 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 10022-C |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 13 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 7 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Maule Flyer LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anacortes |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98221 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Maule Flyer LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Anacortes |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 98221 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 74S |
| Departure City | Anacortes |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1420 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | WA09 |
| Destination City | Roche Harbor |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2014 1:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | huhm |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 07 |
| Runway Length | 3593 |
| Runway Width | 30 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |