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1940 J3 cub on landing when brakes applied. Left brake failed resulting in over-controlling and loss of control. Aircraft skidded on the wet grass and nosed over into a ditch. Aircraft damaged, no injury to the pilot.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 348533 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199609 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : n08 |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : tpa |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | J3 Cub |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 143 flight time type : 24 |
| ASRS Report | 348533 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On approach for landing at flanagan airstrip my airspeed was 40 mph. After doing a wheel landing, I retarded the throttle to idle and after the tailwheel touchdown I applied braking. Few seconds later the left brake quit working and the aircraft pitched to the right, I pressed the left rudder pedal and the aircraft came back around to the left. As this was going on the aircraft was skidding on dew in the grass and the aircraft went into the ditch and nose over. Before my flight I performed a run-up of the engine and the aircraft did not pitch to the right and the brake pedals felt normal. So I believe I just had mechanical failure at a bad time. As a pilot I could have added power at the first instance of trouble, but I felt the tree line was too close to fly over or bank away from it. I don't know that I made a wise decision, but I did walk away from a bent up aircraft. To prevent this from happening again I could have done a 3 point landing where the airspeed would be lower and could have better control on the wet grass.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 1940 J3 CUB ON LNDG WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. L BRAKE FAILED RESULTING IN OVER-CONTROLLING AND LOSS OF CTL. ACFT SKIDDED ON THE WET GRASS AND NOSED OVER INTO A DITCH. ACFT DAMAGED, NO INJURY TO THE PLT.
Narrative: ON APCH FOR LNDG AT FLANAGAN AIRSTRIP MY AIRSPD WAS 40 MPH. AFTER DOING A WHEEL LNDG, I RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND AFTER THE TAILWHEEL TOUCHDOWN I APPLIED BRAKING. FEW SECONDS LATER THE L BRAKE QUIT WORKING AND THE ACFT PITCHED TO THE R, I PRESSED THE L RUDDER PEDAL AND THE ACFT CAME BACK AROUND TO THE L. AS THIS WAS GOING ON THE ACFT WAS SKIDDING ON DEW IN THE GRASS AND THE ACFT WENT INTO THE DITCH AND NOSE OVER. BEFORE MY FLT I PERFORMED A RUN-UP OF THE ENG AND THE ACFT DID NOT PITCH TO THE R AND THE BRAKE PEDALS FELT NORMAL. SO I BELIEVE I JUST HAD MECHANICAL FAILURE AT A BAD TIME. AS A PLT I COULD HAVE ADDED PWR AT THE FIRST INSTANCE OF TROUBLE, BUT I FELT THE TREE LINE WAS TOO CLOSE TO FLY OVER OR BANK AWAY FROM IT. I DON'T KNOW THAT I MADE A WISE DECISION, BUT I DID WALK AWAY FROM A BENT UP ACFT. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN I COULD HAVE DONE A 3 POINT LNDG WHERE THE AIRSPD WOULD BE LOWER AND COULD HAVE BETTER CTL ON THE WET GRASS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.