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ERA21LA044

2020-11-14 · Ellenville, New York, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport N89

Current FAA registration · N5179G

Make / Model
CESSNA 305A
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19720728
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A67F0A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The failure of the right brake master cylinder lock seal spring washer.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was performing touch-and-go landings. During the third landing, the pilot noticed that right wheel began to “drag.” During the next landing, the airplane veered to the right side of the runway. The tail of the airplane then lifted and the airplane nosed over. The fuselage, wings, and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. After exiting the airplane, the pilot attempted to rotate the right wheel assembly, and it would not rotate. After about an hour the wheel assembly freed up and was able to rotate. A postaccident examination of the brake system revealed that the brake master cylinder lock seal spring had broken into three pieces. Given this information, it is likely that the broken lock seal spring washer prevented the master cylinder from releasing pressure from the caliper. This malfunction resulted in the right brake caliper staying engaged after the pilot released the brakes. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Brake-Malfunction
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Master cylinder/brake valve-Failure

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_ERA21LA044.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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