Amateur-built RUTAN LONG E Z N8714S accident near Tucson, Arizona

Probable cause

The pilot’s excessive ground speed and loss of directional control while exiting the taxiway.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot in the retractable-nosewheel airplane, he landed about midfield on the 4,000-ft-long runway, and his approach speed was about 10 knots too fast. During the landing roll, the pilot started a right turn to exit his approaching taxiway and pressed the brakes hard because the ground speed was too fast. He reported that he heard a "small pop" and that he had "no braking control," and the airplane veered left. He released the brake pressure and retracted the nose landing gear to slow the airplane. The airplane skidded off the left side of the runway and collided with trees.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left canard and right wing.

A Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane after the accident reported that the right brake fluid line failed at the brake caliper. He asserted that the brake line failure was not a material failure, rather it was the result of the airplane's collision with trees.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA18CA227 for the full record.