Piper PA28 N8132X

Summary

On 28 October 2018 at about 20:45 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N8132X was involved in an accident near Simsbury, Connecticut, 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

28 October 2018 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Simsbury, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Simsbury Airport (4B9)

Coordinates

41.9161, -72.7769

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N8132X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Windsor Locks → Simsbury

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA030

1 person had minor injuries.

Maintenance personnel's inadequate inspection of the wheel brake system during the airplane's most recent 100-hour inspection, which resulted in a loss of hydraulic fluid and the pilot's inability to control the airplane during the landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was practicing approaches and touch-and-go landings. The pilot reported that, during taxi for takeoff, the wheel brakes were "sluggish"; when he was attempting a full-stop landing at the destination airport, the brakes "failed." The pilot steered the airplane off the runway to avoid a fence and collided with a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear separated from the airplane during the ground collision, and there was evidence of pre-existing hydraulic fluid leakage where the fluid line fitting connected to the wheel brake assembly. Additionally, the right main landing gear wheel brake assembly was not attached to the trunnion by the required AN bolts, and the hydraulic fluid line fitting was not attached to the brake assembly. According to the maintenance logbooks, a 100-hour inspection was completed 18 days before the accident. The logbook entry noted servicing of all tires, wheels, brakes, and brake fluid. Given that the right main landing gear hydraulic fluid line was detached from its respective brake assembly, it is likely that maintenance personnel did not adequately inspect the wheel brake system, and the right brake failed due to a loss of hydraulic fluid.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.