Report says brake malfunction caused a small plane landing in McKinney to hit vehicle
A small plane crashed, into a vehicle in McKinney on Nov. 11 in an attempt to make an emergency landing, due to brake malfunction of the aircraft, according to an aviation investigation preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Coming from Midland, Texas, the pilot was trying to make an emergency landing at Aero County Airport in McKinney, but was unable to stop the plane at the end of the runway, city officials initially said.
The plane went through a fence and onto eastbound Virginia Parkway, where it collided into a car tha was driving by, according to a report from Star-Telegram media partner, WFAA.
Paramedics examined three victims at the scene, two people who were in the plane and one who was in the car, officials said. One victim was taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
The airplane, identified by the NTSB as a Lancair LX7, was being operated as a personal flight, according to the report
According to the pilot, while at flight level west of Abilene, a door seal failed and the airplane experienced a loss of pressurization. As a result, the pilot contacted air traffic control for an immediate descent, the report says.
The pilot descended to 10,000 feet and continued the flight to Aero County Airport in McKinney. Shortly after, the pilot noted an amber caution light for the propeller RPM, indicating the plane was at 1,920 RPM. The pilot reduced the RPM to 1,800 and the caution light turned off, continuing the flight, according to the report.
The pilot also reported he had not previously landed at that airport and performed a touch-and-go landing — which involves landing on a runway and taking off again — on runway 17 “to see the field”, the report says. The pilot climbed the airplane to the traffic pattern altitude and flew a normal traffic pattern to land on runway 17, but during the descent, the pilot pulled back the power level and the lever ball came off in his hand, according to the report.
The pilot handed the ball to the passenger and continued the landing. The pilot further stated the airplane touched down in the first 500 feet of the runway without a float or a bounce when having touched ground, and he immediately “hit [the] brakes gently”, maintaining the runaway centerline, the report says.
An examination of the airplane after the crash showed substantial damage to the front fuselage and the right wing of the plane.
A witness recorded video of the pilot’s landing, showing the airplane touch down and bounce, according to the report. All landing gear came to rest and on the runway surface and evidence of braking action (smoke from the main landing gear, wheels, and tires) occurred shortly after. The wheel and tires continued to emit smoke until the airplane exited the runway.
The airplane continued to the perimeter fence and then traveled 93 feet before hitting the vehicle in the roadway.
The report confirms one person had minor injuries and two others at the scene were not injured at all.
