Accident Overview
On February 19, 2012, at approximately 1315 eastern standard time, an Aviat Aircraft model A-1C-200, registration N45TT, sustained substantial damage when it exited the right side of runway 10 during landing at Wood County Airport (1G0) in Bowling Green, Ohio. The aircraft was registered to Differential Leasing, LLC and operated by an airline transport pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated at 1300.
Occupant and Damage Report
The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were not injured. The airplane sustained damage to the left wing and wing spar, as well as the left landing gear and propeller.
Pilot Report and Initial Investigation
The pilot informed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge that the left brake locked during landing, causing the airplane to veer sideways. FAA inspectors examined the airplane and detected no anomalies. However, the airplane owner reported to FAA inspectors that he disassembled the left brake and found metal shavings inside the port where the brake bleeder was attached. The left brake caliper assembly and the metal shavings were sent to the NTSB for further examination.
Brake Assembly Examination
The left brake assembly was a disc brake-type caliper with two independent pistons. Using a 10X magnifier, the piston bores within the caliper body were clean with no evidence of scoring. The pistons displayed circumferential abrasions on their exteriors, consistent with having been misaligned with the bores at some point. The O-ring seals appeared intact with no deficiencies. With the O-rings removed, the pistons moved freely in their bores. The abrasions did not impede piston movement in either direction. The brake pads were intact and did not show excessive wear. The metal shavings were non-ferrous (not attracted to a magnet). Their spiral appearance matched shavings expelled during drilling operations. The shavings retained their spiral shape and did not appear flattened, indicating they had not been jammed between the piston and bore. The examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the brake assembly.
Weather Conditions
Recorded weather at Toledo Executive Airport, approximately 12 miles northeast of the accident site, included wind from 20 degrees at 10 knots.