Aeronca 7AC N1797E accident near Concord, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot's inability to maintain directional control during landing for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airplane brake assemblies revealed no anomalies that would have caused the right brake to lock, which resulted in a runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he approached the turf runway intending to conduct a full-stop landing. He stated that upon applying the brakes, the right brake “stuck and would not release,” which resulted in the airplane veering right. The pilot attempted to pump the brakes to release the right brake and was unable to regain directional control. The airplane traveled off the right side of the runway and impacted trees. A ground scar consistent with skidding of the right tire was observed on the turf leading up to the edge of the road near where the airplane came to rest. The spars of both wings were fractured, and the fractured wing sections were displaced aft. During a postaccident interview, the airplane’s owner reported that the brakes were “very old” and required frequent adjustments and that she had planned to replace them. Review of the airframe logbooks revealed multiple entries related to the right brakes in the 4 years before the accident.

Postaccident examination and operational testing of the brake assemblies did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have caused the right brake to lock.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19TA182 for the full record.