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Atlas / NTSB / ANC13CA075

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ANC13CA075

2013-08-08 North Pole, Alaska, United States Airport · 95Z None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N75LE

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA 185D

Year of manufacture

1965 · 48 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR I0-470 SERIES (260 hp)

Seats / Engines

6 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19650528

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S AA18AF

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The malfunction of the right main wheel brake during taxi due to a faulty O-ring in the right brake pedal master cylinder.

Factual narrative

The pilot had completed his before takeoff checks, and was taxiing the tailwheel-equipped airplane onto the runway for departure. He added power and initiated a left turn to align the airplane with the runway, while attempting to stop the turn the right brake failed and the airplane ground looped striking the right wing on the gravel runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron. An examination of the right brake master cylinder revealed that the right brake would not hold pressure and the O-ring within the master cylinder had dried out allowing brake fluid to leak past. The pilot had completed his before takeoff checks, and was taxiing the tailwheel-equipped airplane onto the runway for departure. He added power and initiated a left turn to align the airplane with the runway, while attempting to stop the turn the right brake failed and the airplane ground looped striking the right wing on the gravel runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron. An examination of the right brake master cylinder revealed that the right brake would not hold pressure and the O-ring within the master cylinder had dried out allowing brake fluid to leak past. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Master cylinder/brake valve-Failure - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_ANC13CA075.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.