Piper PA-28-236 N451X

Summary

On 31 August 2000 at about 18:16 local time, a Piper PA-28-236 registered N451X was involved in an accident near Des Moines, Iowa, 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

31 August 2000 at 18:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Des Moines Int'l (DSM)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-236

Registration

N451X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Bloomington

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI00LA278

Nobody was injured.

A hydraulic fluid leak which resulted in a landing gear brake fire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot experienced a left main gear brake fire while taxiing for takeoff. He reported that while taxing the airplane slowed "as if it were taxiing uphill, or a brake were dragging" so he added about 100 rpm of power to continue taxiing. The pilot reported, "When I attempted to set the brakes to check the engine and instruments, I found that I had no brakes." The pilot then requested a taxi clearance back to the fixed base operator on the airport to get the brakes checked. Another pilot on the same frequency announced to the pilot of N451X that his airplane was on fire. The pilot reported that he looked and saw dense, dark smoke coming from under the left wing. He shut down the engine, turned all switches off, and exited the airplane. The pilot reported the fire was in the area of the left landing gear almost directly under the left wing fuel tank. Hydraulic fluid was found on the ramp where the airplane had been parked for several days prior to the accident. The exact origin of the fluid leak could not be determined because of the extent of fire damage to the landing gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.