Piper PA-24-250 N8051P

Summary

On 12 September 1999 at about 17:30 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N8051P was involved in an accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 September 1999 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Petersburg, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Albert Whitted Municipal (SPG)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N8051P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cross City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA99LA255

1 person had minor injuries.

the pilots improper use of the hand brake during the landing roll out and his failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in the airplane exiting the runway and incurring substantial damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that after a normal landing the airplane initially tracked the runway centerline, but at about 500 feet it veered to the right. The pilot stated that he applied the handbrake which made the situation worse, and the airplane exited the runway. A mechanic who examined the airplane said that the damage was not consistent with a hard landing, but with a sudden stop. The mechanic said that the airplane's hand brake cable is connected to the toe brake cable, and that when the hand brake is applied, it locks the rudder pedals, preventing the pilot from applying rudder input to control the airplane. The mechanic said the rudder trim was 1/3 of the way to the right of center, resulting in the rudder pedals being uneven when the handbrake was applied. The mechanic said that the pilot told him that the landing was normal, and during the rollout he retracted the flaps, turned off the boost pump, and then applied the hand brake, when as a result of applying the hand brake, the airplane veered off the runway. The nose gear right drag link was sent to the NTSB's Materials Laboratory for analysis, and the report shows that the drag link fracture surfaces exhibited a rough, matte gray appearance, consistent with overstress, and the drag link bolt was bent 13 degrees relative to its axis, also consistent with overstress.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.