Cessna 172 accident near North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, November 23, 2018
On November 23, 2018 at about 4:05 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 172, registered N7081Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Grand Strand 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 failure of the right brake while taxiing after landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control and collision with a parked airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2018 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · Grand Strand Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 L, built 1972 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7081Q · no longer on the register · serial 17260381
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taxiing after landing when he felt a wind gust push the tail to the right and he could not correct with full right rudder. He then applied right brake, but the right brake failed. He applied both brakes to stop, but the left turn became exaggerated, and he pulled the mixture control to stop the engine. The airplane subsequently impacted another airplane parked on the ramp. Postaccident examination of the right brake by the operator revealed damage to an O-ring or packing that allowed brake fluid to leak past the piston, rendering the right brake inoperative. The brake linings of both brakes were replaced about 389 flight hours before the accident.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during taxi (from runway) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (from runway)
- Ground collision during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,855 hours in all; 1,048 in this make and model; 3.7 in the last 90 days; 2.7 in the last 30 days; 2,787 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 20, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,672.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 9, 2018; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 10,215 hours total
- Operator: Carolina Aviation Of Aiken LLC
The flight
- Departed from: AIK Aiken SC at 2:20 pm
- Destination: CRE North Myrtle Beach SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from CRE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on February 24, 2022. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 Received from Pilot | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 Received from Operator | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Log Excerpts | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Statement from Mechanic Regarding Brake Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Record of NTSB Conversation | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Annotated Wreckage Diagram | PDF, 1 page | 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.