Piper PA28 N8384E

Summary

On 11 September 2019 at about 19:15 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N8384E was involved in an accident near Colorado Springs, Colorado, 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

11 September 2019 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

City of Colorado Springs Munic (COS)

Coordinates

38.8058, -104.7008

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N8384E

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Amarillo → Colorado Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA314

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper taxi speed and his excessive use of brakes, which resulted in a brake fire and substantial thermal damage to the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was taxiing the airplane to a parking ramp after landing when the airplane lost left and right main landing gear braking effectiveness. The pilot continued the taxi and planned on performing turning maneuvers to slow the airplane enough to make a right turn onto the next taxiway and to perform 360° turns, if needed, to stop the airplane. When he tried two shallow turns to slow the airplane, he heard a loud bang and the airplane veered left and stopped. When he exited the airplane, he saw that the left brake was on fire. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed fire damage that extended from the left main landing gear wheel brake assembly to the left wing structure. There was also thermal damage to the right main wheel brake assembly. Examination revealed no mechanical anomalies of the airplane brake system that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot's excessive taxi speed and use of braking resulted in a brake fire while taxiing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.