What happened
During the landing phase of flight, the pilot observed an aircraft parked on the right side of the runway near the departure end. Concerned that his deceleration was insufficient to clear the obstacle safely, he decided to engage the parking brake handle while the aircraft was still in motion. Immediately following this action, the aircraft began to pull sharply to the left. The plane continued off the shoulder of the narrow runway and descended a grade approximately 4 to 5 feet high. Upon impact with the lower terrain, the left wing contacted the ground, causing the aircraft to enter a sideward slide.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed no mechanical defects with the braking system itself. However, a mechanic provided critical insight into the mechanics of the incident. He stated that engaging the parking brake while the aircraft is moving will almost certainly cause one brake to lock up before the other due to inherent design limitations.