Piper PA-22-160 accident near Roanoke, Texas, May 27, 2022
On May 27, 2022 at about 2:40 pm local time, a 1958 Piper PA-22-160, registered N8926D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Roanoke, Texas (Northwest Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate maintenance of the airplane’s brake system that resulted in a hole in the brake line, the loss of brake fluid, and the subsequent loss of brake functionality.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2022 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Roanoke, Texas · Northwest Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-160, built 1958 · all PA-22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N8926D · registry record · serial 22-6083
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was conducting a local pattern flight and performing touch and goes when during his second landing when he applied the brakes to slow down, the brakes did not respond. The pilot used the emergency break handle to stop but got no response. The pilot then steered the airplane into the grass adjacent to the runway to slow down. During the excursion, the left main landing gear struck a hole in the grass causing the aircraft to stop abruptly and nose over coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and wings. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a small hole in left brake line and the line in that area was chaffed. The line transitioned from the airplane fuselage to the landing gear and brakes through a jagged hole in a metal support bulkhead. The hole did not possess a barrier or material to prevent rubbing of the break line. A review of the airplane’s maintenance logs did not show any entries regarding the brakes or any damage to the left brake line area. It is likely that the hole in the brake line existed for some time before it leaked enough fluid to cause the brakes to malfunction during the accident flight. According to a manufacturer’s engineering diagram, there should have been a grommet installed (Part Number: AN331-6-10) in the bulkhead hole that the brake line passed through. The part was designed to protect the brake line from chaffing. The pilot reported that there were no indications of a brake issue when he did his preflight.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Hoses and tubes › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,300 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2022
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MWL Mineral Wells TX at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KAFW, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAFW 271553Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 28/07 A3005 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 23, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorandum for the Record Pilot Report Summary CEN22LA225 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record Brake System Examination Findings CEN22LA225 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for the Record Piper Engineering Diagram CEN22LA225 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array CEN22LA225 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.