Piper PA-28-181 accident near New Century, Kansas, October 24, 2015
On October 24, 2015 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1980 Piper PA-28-181, registered N8227L, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near New Century, Kansas (New Century Aircenter Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s application of excessive brake pressure to maintain a safe taxi speed during a long, slightly downhill taxi with a strong quartering tailwind, which resulted in a brake fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2015 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Century, Kansas · New Century Aircenter Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181, built 1980 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8227L · no longer on the register · serial 28-8090327
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he accomplished a brake test before taxiing for takeoff for a personal flight and that the brakes checked normally. He taxied about 1.85 miles from the ramp to runway 36 via taxiway A, which ran parallel to runway 36. The airport diagram indicated that the elevation at the departure end of runway 36 was 1,085 ft and that the elevation at the approach end of runway 36 was 1,051 ft; the loss of 34 ft of elevation resulted in a runway gradient of about -0.5 percent. A right quartering tailwind existed during the taxi operation. The pilot reported that the brakes felt "mushy" as he turned the airplane into the wind and stopped at the run-up area at the approach end of runway 36. He smelled something burning and requested a taxi clearance back to the ramp. During the taxi back, an air traffic controller informed the pilot that the there was a fire on the right side of the airplane. The examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear (MLG) exhibited signs of thermal damage and that the right wheel pant was consumed by fire. The flap and wing areas near the landing gear were also consumed by fire. The left MLG exhibited signs of thermal damage but had not caught on fire. The O-ring around the piston had melted, and hydraulic fluid was found leaking around the left brake caliper. It is likely that the pilot applied excessive brake pressure during the long, slightly downhill taxi with a strong quartering tailwind. The pilot's application of excessive brake pressure to maintain a safe taxi speed resulted in the brakes getting hot enough to initiate a brake fire.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 31 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,460 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 2015
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 5,252 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: New Century Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: IXD New Century KS
- Destination: HYS Hays KS
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from IXD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.