Piper PA-22-160 N8926D

Summary

On 27 May 2022 at about 14:40 local time, a Piper PA-22-160 registered N8926D, operated by Hashley Gary L, was involved in an accident near Roanoke, Texas, 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

27 May 2022 at 14:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Roanoke, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Northwest Regional (52F)

Coordinates

33.0040, -97.2258

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-160

Registration

N8926D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Engines

1

Operator

Hashley Gary L

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mineral Wells → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA225

Nobody was injured.

Inadequate maintenance of the airplane’s brake system that resulted in a hole in the brake line, the loss of brake fluid, and the subsequent loss of brake functionality.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was conducting a local pattern flight and performing touch and goes when during his second landing when he applied the brakes to slow down, the brakes did not respond. The pilot used the emergency break handle to stop but got no response. The pilot then steered the airplane into the grass adjacent to the runway to slow down. During the excursion, the left main landing gear struck a hole in the grass causing the aircraft to stop abruptly and nose over coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and wings. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a small hole in left brake line and the line in that area was chaffed. The line transitioned from the airplane fuselage to the landing gear and brakes through a jagged hole in a metal support bulkhead. The hole did not possess a barrier or material to prevent rubbing of the break line. A review of the airplane’s maintenance logs did not show any entries regarding the brakes or any damage to the left brake line area. It is likely that the hole in the brake line existed for some time before it leaked enough fluid to cause the brakes to malfunction during the accident flight. According to a manufacturer’s engineering diagram, there should have been a grommet installed (Part Number: AN331-6-10) in the bulkhead hole that the brake line passed through. The part was designed to protect the brake line from chaffing. The pilot reported that there were no indications of a brake issue when he did his preflight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.