NTSB Factual Report

On June 13, 2009, about 1750 Pacific Daylight time, an amateur built Howard Long EZ experimental airplane, N7999H, was substantially damaged when it collided with a stationary vehicle during landing roll at the Placerville Airport (PVF), Placerville, California. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from Marysville, California at 1715, with an intended destination of PVF.

In a written statement, the pilot reported that during cruise flight, he noticed an unusual yaw and obtained visual assistance from the pilot of another airplane to detect the source of the yaw. The pilot stated that the left winglet was observed "out of alignment." The pilot entered the traffic pattern for runway 23, a 4,201-foot long and 75-foot wide asphalt runway. While turning final, the pilot noticed that the left rudder was "possibly inoperative." Following an uneventful landing, the pilot applied light pressure to both the left and right brakes. The pilot noted that the left brake was inoperative and the airplane began to veer to the right. Despite the pilot's control inputs, the airplane exited the runway onto a parallel taxiway. The pilot stated that the airplane was heading towards a row of stationary airplanes and applied full right rudder/brake to miss the parked aircraft. Subsequently, the airplane impacted an unoccupied stationary vehicle and came to rest upright.

Examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed that the right wing, fuselage, and left wing were structurally damaged.

Examination of the airplane's flight control and brake system was conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector. The inspector reported that the left and right brake systems are independent of one another. A 14-foot long 8th inch diameter stainless steel cable was routed through the interior area of the fuselage from the rudder pedals to a bellcrank located near the brake master cylinder on the engine firewall. The left and right brake cables were mostly routed independently from the forward cockpit rudder pegs through a stainless steel sleeve, which was embedded within the fuselage fiberglass structure.

The inspector further reported, to allow the cables to be routed through an auxiliary set of rear mounted rudder foot pegs, about 8 inches of each brake cable was exposed underneath the floor of the rear cockpit. Each cable passed through the middle of a neoprene plastic housing, which was an attachment point for the rear foot pegs. The neoprene plastic housing was attached to an aluminum sliding fixture, which was mounted to the interior fuselage structure. A compression sleeve band swaged onto the brake cable allowed the cable to engage the neoprene plastic housing when forward pressure was applied to the rear foot pegs.

The left brake primary cable was disconnected from the bellcrank. The left master cylinder brake unit was actuated manually and functioned normally. The cable, outer casing and general routing were inspected. The inspector noted normal wear and reduction of cable tension on the left brake cable. The left brake cable was reattached to the bellcrank assembly. A small amount of sideways pressure was applied to the brake cable within the exposed area under the rear cockpit floor. The cable compression sleeve contacted the aluminum sliding fixture. Subsequently, normal pressure was applied to the forward left foot peg with restricted forward movement noted.

The inspector added that prior to the accident flight; the airplane was unoccupied and parked at an air show. An unoccupied airplane was blown into the left wing of the accident airplane by a dust devil.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll due to a jammed brake cable.