Swearingen SA226-T(B) N36LC accident near Denver, Colorado

Probable cause

The captain’s failure to ensure that the parking brake was correctly released before takeoff, which resulted in seized brakes during landing and a subsequent loss of directional control and runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The captain reported slower than normal acceleration during the takeoff roll. At 60 to 80 knots, the captain “pushed in the parking brake” handle and continued the takeoff. The crew reported no anomalies on the departure or while en route. While landing at the destination, the airplane swerved right and the captain lost directional control, which resulted in a runway excursion and substantial damage to the right wing.

Postaccident examination revealed that the right main landing gear brakes were seized and the right main landing gear tires had flat spots down to the wheel rims, consistent with no tire rotation during landing. No preaccident anomalies were observed with the braking system that would have precluded normal operation.

According to the flight manual, proper release of the parking brake required the brake pedals to be depressed while the parking brake handle was pushed fully forward. The parking brake was likely not correctly released before takeoff, which allowed the right brakes to retain pressure and led to the loss of directional control during landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA195 for the full record.