Piper PA-18A N12003

Summary

On 12 April 2012 at about 18:30 local time, a Piper PA-18A registered N12003 was involved in an accident near West Palm Beach, 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 April 2012 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

West Palm Beach, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

North Palm Beach County (F45)

Coordinates

26.8517, -80.2261

Aircraft

Piper PA-18A

Registration

N12003

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Palm Beach → West Palm Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA278

1 person had minor injuries.

The inadequate assembly of the brakes, which caused them to lock during the landing roll when the airplane transitioned from asphalt to turf, resulting in the airplane nosing over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

**This brief was modified on November 1, 2013. Please see the public docket for this accident to view the original report.** The pilot stated that when he returned to the airport after a local flight, he elected to land on the turf runway, which intersected an asphalt runway. He said he touched down on the main landing gear "fairly long" on the first portion of the turf runway at a speed of about 60 mph. The pilot delayed lowering the tailwheel until the airplane was crossing the asphalt surface and then lowered the tailwheel firmly to the ground. The airplane began to veer left, and the pilot applied full right rudder and a "slight amount" of right brake to regain directional control. When the airplane transitioned from the asphalt surface to the turf runway, it abruptly nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted, incurring substantial damage to the rudder. An examination of the runway's asphalt to turf transition section revealed that the airplane's main landing gear tires dug into the turf as it left the slightly higher asphalt. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures during the landing and rollout. While the airplane was being repaired after the accident, a mechanic determined that the bolts holding the main wheel halves in position were excessively long, causing the wheel halves to separate and the brake discs to change position when the airplane transitioned from the asphalt to the turf runway. This condition likely caused the brake discs to jam in their housing and the wheels to stop rotating.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.