Piper PA-25-235 N4812Y

Summary

On 28 June 2013 at about 19:00 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N4812Y, operated by Slaughter Bradley R, was involved in an accident near Salisbury, Missouri, United States. One person was 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

28 June 2013 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Salisbury, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

38.9414, -92.6761

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N4812Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Slaughter Bradley R

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salisbury → Salisbury

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA379

Nobody was injured.

The airplane's reduced braking efficiency and the pilot's subsequent delayed decision to go around, which resulted in a loss of directional control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane with a left crosswind on a dirt road. As the airplane slowed down, he applied the right rudder and brake. The pilot said the right brake was soft, and he tried to pump it several times before he decided to go around. After applying power, the pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane veered off of the road and into a ditch. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that, when the right rudder pedal was in the neutral position and the brake was applied, it held pressure. However, when full right rudder and brake were applied, the brake contacted the hopper, which limited the brake's full travel. It could not be determined if the amount of pressure applied to the brake in this condition was enough to provide adequate braking power. However, even with the limitations of the brake with the rudder pedal fully extended, the pilot had made several uneventful landings before the accident and reported no problems with the brakes. He said that the accident could have been prevented if he had decided to go around sooner.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.