Cessna 172K N46567

Summary

On 22 March 2007 at about 22:00 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N46567 was involved in an accident near Cornelia, Georgia, 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

22 March 2007 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cornelia, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Habersham County Airport (KAJR)

Coordinates

34.4972, -83.5567

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N46567

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cornelia → Cornelia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL07CA058

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the owner/operator to repair or replace a known leaking brake system components resulting in a total loss of brakes while taxing and an on-ground collision with trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane veered off a taxiway and collided with trees after landing. The certified flight instructor (CFI) stated he was conducting a training flight with a new student. A preflight inspection was completed and no anomalies were noted except for a low nose wheel tire which was corrected. They departed the airport and flew north of the airport and completed some air work before returning back to the airport to do some landings. The student pilot made a normal landing to runway 24. The CFI felt the student pilot apply some brakes and informed the student pilot to maintain directional control with the rudder only. The student pilot complied with his instructions, taxied the airplane to the end of runway 24, and turned left onto the taxiway. Another airplane was on the parallel to the runway 24 taxiway. The CFI instructed the student pilot to stop the airplane after clearing the runway. The airplane went further than the CFI wanted it to go and the CFI instructed the student pilot to apply brakes. The CFI applied brakes and the airplane would not stop. The CFI applied the emergency brake and the airplane would not stop. The CFI pulled the mixture to the cut off position and attempted to stop the airplane on the lip of the edge of the taxiway. The airplane did not stop and went down an embankment and collided with some trees. The registered owner and operator of the airplane informed the FAA that the brake system had been serviced a week before the accident by adding brake fluid to the brake system. Review of the airframe logbook revealed no entry had been entered into the logbook pertaining to the servicing of the brake system. A functional test of the brake system was performed by the FAA inspectors who tried to push the airplane with the parking brake engaged. In addition, one FAA inspector got in the airplane's left front seat and applied brakes and then in the right front seat and applied brakes as the other FAA pushed the airplane, and the airplane continued to move in each test. The brake pads and rotors were visually inspected and no anomalies were noted. Visual inspection of the master cylinder found that brake fluid was leaking onto the exterior of the master cylinder components, as evidenced by the staining of dried hydraulic fluid. The carpet near the pilot's (left front seat) rudder pedals were saturated with brake fluid and there were indications of some recently spilled brake fluid which had a reddish color. In addition, brake fluid stains that were brownish in color were observed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.