Right brake overheated and failed on take-off, catching fire in the grass and destroying the airplane. I believe that Dave Dent may have been the test pilot, I think I saw something on this on the Reflector but I can’t find it now. This airplane was in an earlier accident in 2004 (NTSB).
The mechanic/pilot performed engine maintenance on the experimental airplane and was taking the airplane out for a high-speed taxi and check flight. He said that during the takeoff roll the right brake did not feel as he expected it to, and he decided to abort the takeoff. As the airplane exited the runway and proceeded onto the taxiway, the pilot activated the right brake to straighten the airplane when the right brake failed. The airplane began to spin and came to rest on an adjacent grassy area where the right brake ignited a fire burning the grass and the airplane. By the time the fire department arrived, the airplane’s engine section, firewall, and part of the fuselage had been fire damaged. A post accident inspection by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right brake caliper had been restricted by the wheel pant. This caused drag on the brake rotor allowing it to build up heat and eventually caused the fluid line to fail.
| NTSB Probable | NTSB Final | News 1 |
Posted By: Brett FerrellFriday June 19th, 2009 at 7:44 PM
Categories: Accidents Tags: 2009 CA FG Gunnoe Livermore N92VA Non-Fatal SE Velocity