Piper PA-31-350 accident near Franklin, North Carolina, October 17, 2013
On October 17, 2013 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA-31-350, registered N555GK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Franklin, North Carolina (Macon County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the left main landing gear brake line during landing due to the loss of hydraulic fluid. Contributing to the accident was a fatigue crack through the brake line that had formed due to contact with a swaged sleeve as a result of exfoliation corrosion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2013 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Franklin, North Carolina · Macon County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350, built 1974 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N555GK · no longer on the register · serial 31-7405456
- 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, during the preflight inspection, he checked both the left and right brake reservoirs for proper servicing, and he found that they were ready for flight. During the landing roll, the pilot applied the left and right brake pedals; however, the left brake did not respond, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that there was a hydraulic fluid leak in the left main landing gear brake line. Further examination revealed that the brake line failed due to a fatigue crack that had propagated through the cross-section of the brake line, which resulted in the hydraulic fluid leak. The fatigue cracking was likely due to the detachment of the swaged compression sleeve and nut from the brake line due to exfoliation corrosion. The exfoliation corrosion likely resulted from or was exacerbated by consistent introduction of water and contact between two the different metals in the aluminum sleeve and the stainless steel brake line. A review of the airplane's maintenance records revealed that the airplane's last annual inspection occurred about 3 months before the accident. According to the mechanic who performed the inspection, he performed a visual inspection of the brake system for looseness, leakage, and corrosion and physically checked the tightness of the "B" nut at the brake caliper in accordance with the 100-hour phase checklist; however, he did not note any problems with the left brake line.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 29,500 as pilot in command; 15,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 26, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,574 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 2013; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lycoming TI0-540 SER (piston); 1,077 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TI0-540 SER (piston); 1,077 hours total
- Operator: Lunsford Air Consulting INC
The flight
- Departed from: YFL Palm Coast FL at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 1A5 Franklin NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,700 ft; scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from 1A5
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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.