Cook SMITH AVN REPLICA SU N712AZ

Summary

On 13 March 2012 at about 16:50 local time, a Cook SMITH AVN REPLICA SU registered N712AZ, operated by Clayton McMartin, was involved in an accident near St. Johns, Arizona, 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

13 March 2012 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Johns, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

St. Johns Industrial Air Park (SJN)

Coordinates

34.5183, -109.3786

Aircraft

Cook SMITH AVN REPLICA SU

Registration

N712AZ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Clayton McMartin

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. Johns → St. Johns

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA135

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilots’ failure to maintain directional control when the right brake locked up during the landing roll for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was receiving instruction in it. The pilot reported that the day before the accident, during landing, the left brake became less responsive than the right, and the airplane veered off of the runway but incurred no damage. The pilot and his flight instructor then bled the brake lines. This was followed by taxi and touch-and-go landing checks with no anomalies noted. The following morning the brakes were tested again and were operational. During the fourth landing that morning, the right brake locked up, and the airplane swerved to the right and nosed over. Although the flight instructor indicated that he had signed off the pilot for his tailwheel endorsement the day of the accident, he did not hold a current airman medical certificate. Additionally, the instructor reported that he did not remain on the flight controls with the pilot during the landings. Postaccident examination of the brake system revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.