Overview
On July 6, 2008, at approximately 1215 mountain daylight time, a Lancair Company LC41-550FG (Columbia 400), registration N2544W, was involved in an accident while taxiing at Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) in Hailey, Idaho. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and the passenger were not injured. The flight was being operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight originating at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, directional control during taxi is achieved through differential braking. While taxiing for departure, the right brake failed. The airplane subsequently departed the left side of the taxiway, impacted a pole, and then proceeded down an embankment before striking an airport perimeter fence.
Damage and Examination
The left composite wing tip was split open, and the wing's leading edge sustained an 8- to 10-inch chordwise rip. A postaccident examination conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right brake O-ring, located in the piston that operates the caliper, was hard and flattened. When brake fluid was introduced into the system and the brakes were actuated, fluid was observed passing directly through the right-hand caliper and onto the ground.