On January 10, 1998, a Cessna 170 (registration N48021) was involved in an aviation accident near Orlando, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: failure of the the left brake to operate, due to a bad o-ring; and subsequent failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing rollout, resulting in a ground loop and subsequent on-ground encounter with terrain. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a wheel landing on runway 25 with a crosswind, the aircraft veered right, directional control was lost, the left main gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. Subsequent repairs revealed an inoperative left brake master cylinder due to a faulty o-ring.
Incident Details
The pilot was conducting a wheel landing on runway 25. The wind was reported from 320 degrees at 5 knots. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot reportedly lost directional control, and the airplane continued its rightward movement.
Damage
As a result of the loss of control, the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing subsequently contacted the ground and sustained damage.
Post-Incident Findings
During the repair process, the left brake master cylinder was discovered to be inoperative. The cause was identified as a defective o-ring within the cylinder.
Contributing Circumstances
No other factors were identified in the source material. The event occurred during daylight hours with a crosswind from the left, as the wind was from 320 degrees at 5 knots while landing on runway 25.