Accident Overview
On April 21, 2008, at approximately 1130 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 180 airplane, registration N3043E, equipped with tundra tires, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control during the landing roll at Kodiak Airport in Kodiak, Alaska. The airplane was operated by a private certificated pilot on a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country business flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from a private airstrip in Kasilof, Alaska, about 0930.
Pilot Report
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on the day of the accident, the pilot reported that he was landing on the asphalt surface of runway 25. As the tailwheel touched down, it began to wobble. The pilot applied the brakes, but the left brake was ineffective, and the airplane ground-looped to the right. The left main landing gear axle and the left main wheel separated from the landing gear strut. The airplane received damage to the left main gear and the firewall.
Previous Brake Issue
In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, he reported that the airplane previously had a malfunction of the left brake but did not specify the date of the previous problem. He stated that he serviced the brake system with hydraulic fluid, which resolved the problem, and indicated that he did not find a leak in the brake system.
Post-Accident Inspection
Following the accident, the airplane was not inspected by NTSB or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel.