On July 28, 1983, a Luscombe 8A (registration N1289B) was involved in an aviation accident near Hunter, NY. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loose right brake cable leading to asymmetric braking and left main gear failure on downward sloping terrain. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Aircraft swerved left during landing roll due to loose right brake cable, leading to gear failure on downward sloping terrain despite recent annual inspection.
What happened
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, the aircraft swerved to the left when brakes were applied. Subsequently, the aircraft went onto downward sloping terrain and the left main gear failed.
The investigation
An examination of the braking system revealed that the right brake cable had become loose. Reports indicated that the brakes had been inspected and adjusted during an annual inspection dated 10 days prior to the accident.
Findings
The incident involved left main gear failure following a swerve during landing roll. Contributing factors included a loose right brake cable despite recent maintenance.
Probable cause
Loose right brake cable leading to asymmetric braking and left main gear failure on downward sloping terrain.