No fatalities

Pilot Forgets to Release Parking Brake Before Landing on Hard-Surface Runway

Talkeetna, AK, United States

On May 22, 2012, a DEHAVILLAND DHC-2 MK. I(L20A) operated by K2 Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Talkeetna, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot forgot to release the parking brake before landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

After landing on a glacier, a pilot raised wheel skis and set the parking brake. Upon departing, he forgot to release the brake and landed on a hard-surface runway, causing the airplane to nosedown and sustain damage to the horizontal stabilizer.

Accident Summary

A pilot landed at a base camp situated on a glacier. To prevent the airplane from sliding, he raised the wheel skis and engaged the parking brake. Subsequently, he lowered the skis and departed the glacier. During the subsequent landing on a hard-surface runway, the pilot forgot to release the parking brake.

Sequence of Events

Upon touchdown, the airplane came to an abrupt stop and nosed down. After the nose lowered, the aircraft settled back onto the tailwheel. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Damage

The horizontal stabilizer sustained substantial damage as a result of the abrupt stop and nose-down event.

Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to release the parking brake before landing on a hard-surface runway led to the abrupt stop and damage.

Contributing factors

PilotUnintentional use/operation