Thomas Craig E WITTMAN W-10 N13XZ

Summary

On 28 March 2017 at about 22:30 local time, a Thomas Craig E WITTMAN W-10 registered N13XZ was involved in an accident near Stevensville, Montana, 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 March 2017 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Stevensville, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Stevensville (32S)

Coordinates

46.5256, -114.0528

Aircraft

Thomas Craig E WITTMAN W-10

Registration

N13XZ

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seeley Lake → Stevensville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA212

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s decision to take off with a known master brake cylinder leak and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, after landing at an airport along his route, he observed a leak from the left master brake cylinder. He added that he "wiped up [a] considerable [amount of] brake fluid from the floorboard," conducted a "thorough inspection" of the left brake, and then departed for another airport. He further reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane weathervaned into the crosswind, and he applied "full rudder and [the] application of brake found no brake available." He added that, after pumping the brakes, they began to function. The airplane veered off the runway to the right, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.