Casualties unknown

Aircraft Collides with Parked Aircraft After Landing Due to Hydraulic Selector Mispositioning and Brake Mismanagement (N903FB)

Atlanta, GA, US

On May 20, 1985, an Embraer EMB-110-P1 (registration N903FB) was involved in an aviation accident near Atlanta, GA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

The pilot of an aircraft on final approach misidentified a circuit breaker trip, activated emergency hydraulics, and left the selector in emergency position after landing, leading to depleted brake accumulator pressure and collision with a parked aircraft.

Incident Details

An aircraft was on final approach when the circuit breaker caution light illuminated. The pilot in command (PIC) did not verify which circuit breaker had tripped and assumed it was the gear control circuit breaker. Based on this assumption, the PIC activated the emergency hydraulic system and manually lowered the landing gear.

Landing and Brake Failure

After landing, the hydraulic selector was left in the emergency position. This configuration resulted in the toe brakes having only normal accumulator pressure. The normal accumulator pressure was subsequently depleted, and the aircraft collided with a parked aircraft on the ramp. The PIC did not apply the parking brake despite the parking brake emergency accumulator having sufficient hydraulic pressure.

Circuit Breaker Identification

Investigation revealed that the initially tripped circuit breaker was for the landing gear warning system, not the gear control circuit breaker.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001214X36347. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.