Douglas DC-3 N79MA

Summary

On 21 August 2000 at about 17:00 local time, a Douglas DC-3 registered N79MA was involved in an accident near Key West, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 August 2000 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Key West, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Key West International (EYW)

Coordinates

24.5497, -81.7793

Aircraft

Douglas DC-3

Registration

N79MA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hondurus → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL00LA083

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the right brake expander tube which limited the pilots control of the aircraft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, after exiting the runway, he taxied normally to the U.S. Customs service ramp. Upon attempting to turn right at the Customs Ramp, no right brake function was available. The pilot said that due to the close proximity of other aircraft, differential power was not an option. The pilot stated that he cut the magnetos and tried to gently brake with the left brake. He said the left wing struck a parked Beech-18, damaging the upper engine nacelle and propeller. He said that the impact caused the airplane to continue to the left until the right propeller not rotating struck the left wing of the same Beech-18. Examination of the right brake found that the right expander tube had failed. As a result, the pilot was unable to stop the airplane before colliding with a parked and unoccupied Beech 18.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.