Cessna 172S N3555L

Summary

On 18 September 2003 at about 02:35 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N3555L was involved in an accident near Anacortes, Washington, 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

18 September 2003 at 02:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Anacortes, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Anacortes (74S)

Coordinates

48.4989, -122.6622

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N3555L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eastsound → Anacortes

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

SEA03LA201

Nobody was injured.

The pilot attempting to taxi the airplane with a known system deficiency. Factors include worn wheel brakes and a drainage ditch.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he experienced a complete wheel brake failure while taxiing for takeoff. The pilot said that he applied brakes, with little response, as the airplane neared the end of the inclined taxiway. He reported that he was not able to stop the airplane, and it continued off the end of the taxiway. After exiting the taxiway, the airplane encountered rough uneven terrain and eventually came to rest, nose down, in a drainage ditch. In a written statement, the pilot reported that on the previous landing, the airplane "shuttered violently" when he applied wheel brakes during the landing roll. He stated that after parking the airplane he noticed brake fluid "dripping" from the area of the wheel brakes. The pilot also stated that after discovering the problem with the brakes, he contacted the operator of the airplane concerning the problem. The pilot reported that the operator instructed him to "...ferry the aircraft back to ORS [Orcas Island] for maintenance." In a written report dated November 20, 2003, the operator stated that the pilot advised him that only a small amount of brake fluid had leaked from the system. Post accident examination of the wheel brake components by an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the brake pads were worn beyond limits, which allowed the caliper seals (O-ring) to unseat resulting in a loss of brake fluid.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.