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Atlas / NTSB / CHI85LA117

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CHI85LA117

1985-02-17 JANESVILLE, Wisconsin, United States Airport · JVL None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N8ME

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

AERMACCHI AM3-C

Year of manufacture

1973 · 12 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING GSO&IGSO-480 (340 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20000703

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S AADE43

Registrant of record

READY AIM FLYER LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK DURING LNDG. AN INVESTIGATION BY A QUALIFIED A&P MECH FOUND THE LOCK-O-SEAL IN THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD IMPROPER CLEARANCE. LACK OF PROPER CLEARENCE RESTRICTED RETURN FLOW OF BRAKE FLUID TO THE RESERVOIR. THIS LED TO LOCKING OF THE BRAKE ON THE LEFT MAIN LNDG GEAR AND A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_CHI85LA117.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.