Cessna 180G N98FC accident near Wendover, Utah

Probable cause

A loss of directional control during landing as a result of the binding in one main landing gear brake assembly due to incorrect maintenance procedures. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to correctly reconfigure the airplane during an attempted rejected landing.

NTSB analysis

The tailwheel-equipped airplane began veering to the right immediately after touchdown and the pilot's corrective rudder inputs could not bring it back in line with the runway. He therefore initiated a rejected landing, but did not correctly reconfigure the airplane for takeoff. The pilot ultimately aborted the rejected takeoff, but during his attempt to bring the airplane to a stop it nosed over in rough terrain off the side of the runway. The investigation revealed that there was a lack of free rotational movement (binding) in the right main gear brake assembly. The wheel was hard to turn by hand, with the resistance to free movement due to the pressure being applied to the brake rotor by the new brake pads that were installed about three to four flight hours prior to the accident. A postaccident interview with the mechanic who installed the pads determined that after the installation of the pads, the wheel was not jacked up off of the ground so that free movement of the rotor and wheel could be established. Instead, the determination of free movement was made based upon the fact that no resistance was noted when the airplane was pushed out of the hangar by hand. At the time the airplane was rolled out of the hangar the brake rotor was at ambient temperature. Shims are available to insert between the two halves of the brake caliper upon reassembly, and one should have been installed in this situation in order to reduce the amount of resistance present without pilot brake application.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR09LA167 for the full record.