No fatalities

3 Sep 2014: ROSS ALFRED K/ONEILL TERRENCE LANCAIR 235 NO SERIES — Longmont, CO

Longmont, CO, United States

On 3 Sep 2014, a ROSS ALFRED K/ONEILL TERRENCE LANCAIR 235 NO SERIES was involved in an aviation accident near Longmont, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot most likely inadvertently applied the left brake due to tight foot space, causing the airplane to veer left during the landing roll. This summary draws on records from NTSB.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During landing roll, an airplane veered left, departed the runway, and struck terrain, resulting in substantial left wing damage. The pilot cited tight foot space as a likely cause.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that during the landing roll, approximately two-thirds down the runway, the airplane unexpectedly veered to the left. The aircraft continued off the left side of the runway, traversing rough terrain, crossing a bump, and coming to rest in a ditch. The left wing sustained substantial damage as a result of the excursion.

Pilot Account

The pilot stated that there was no mechanical failure or malfunction of the airplane. He attributed the event to the tight foot space within the cockpit, which most likely caused him to inadvertently apply the left brake. This brake application, he believes, resulted in the sudden leftward deviation of the aircraft during the rollout.

Damage Assessment

Inspection of the airplane revealed that the left wing was substantially damaged. No details regarding damage to other components or the extent of repairs required were provided in the report.

Investigation Findings

No further analysis or conclusions beyond the pilot's statement were included in the official source. The investigation did not identify any mechanical issues, and the pilot's explanation stands as the provided cause of the incident.

Probable cause

The pilot most likely inadvertently applied the left brake due to tight foot space, causing the airplane to veer left during the landing roll.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedUnintentional use/operation