Cessna 421 N19CH

Summary

On 14 October 2015 at about 18:45 local time, a Cessna 421 registered N19CH, operated by Denny Ohara, was involved in an accident near Amarillo, Texas, 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

14 October 2015 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Amarillo, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

River Falls (H81)

Coordinates

35.0814, -101.7558

Aircraft

Cessna 421

Registration

N19CH

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

2

Operator

Denny Ohara

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Amarillo → Amarillo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA042

Nobody was injured.

The loss of directional control during taxi to the runway as a result of insufficient brake fluid level in the right brake master cylinder, resulting in a taxiway excursion and collision with a drainage culvert.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the flight instructor, during the taxi to the runway, the pilot receiving instruction stated that he did not have authority in the right brake. The flight instructor reported that he too applied pressure to the right brake to no avail. He reported that the airplane exited the runway to the left, impacted a drainage culvert and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The airplane brake system was examined by the operator's Director of Maintenance, who determined that the right brake master cylinder was low on fluid causing the brakes to be weak. The last maintenance performed on the brakes occurred on 7/8/2015 at which time both brake discs were replaced and all the brake pads were replaced. The total time on the airplane since the last maintenance on the brakes was 33.6 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.