NTSB Factual Report

On November 7, 2013, about 1245 mountain standard time, a Piper PA 46-350P airplane, N60TM, sustained substantial damage when the nose gear collapsed during landing at Sky Ranch at Carefree (18AZ), Carefree, Arizona. The airplane was registered to Thermo Dynamics Inc., Laughlin, Nevada, and was operated by the pilot as an instrument flight rules (IFR), personal cross-country flight, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination/accident airport, and an instrument flight plan was filed and opened. The flight departed Eagle, Colorado about 1025.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on November 18, the pilot stated that during the landing roll, he applied the brakes and the left pedal went to the floor. He attempted to control the airplane with the right brake and left rudder. As the airplane slowed, the rudder became ineffective and the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The airplane struck a berm and the nose landing gear collapsed. During the accident, the engine firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The airplane was three days out of an annual inspection, and the brake master cylinders had recently been rebuilt.

During a subsequent examination of the airplane's left brake, overseen by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air safety inspector, it was determined that the left brake master cylinder seal had failed, rendering the left brake inoperative. According to an airplane maintenance logbook entry, the master brake cylinder had been rebuilt about 40 service hours prior to the failure.

NTSB Probable Cause

The failure of the left brake master cylinder seal, which rendered the left brake inoperative during landing.