Lancair LC41-550FG N2544W

Summary

On 6 July 2008 at about 18:15 local time, a Lancair LC41-550FG registered N2544W, operated by McCormick Enterprises Inc, was involved in an accident near Hailey, Idaho, United States. 2 people were 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

6 July 2008 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Hailey, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN)

Coordinates

43.5039, -114.2956

Aircraft

Lancair LC41-550FG

Registration

N2544W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

McCormick Enterprises Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hailey → Boise

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX08LA217

Nobody was injured.

The loss of directional control while taxiing due to the failure of the right brake.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was designed to use differential braking for directional control while taxiing. The pilot reported that while taxiing for departure, the right brake failed. Subsequently, the airplane departed the left side of the taxiway, impacted a pole and went down an embankment, striking an airport perimeter fence. The left composite wing tip was split open and the wing's leading edge had an 8- to 10-inch chordwise rip in it. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found that the right brake O-ring in the piston that operates the caliper was hard and flat. When brake fluid was put in the system and the brakes were pumped, the brake fluid was observed to pass directly through the right-hand caliper onto the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.