Aviat S1-11B accident near Katy, Texas, August 14, 1999
On August 14, 1999 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Aviat S1-11B, registered N540DM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Katy, Texas (Sack-O-Grande airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 inability to maintain directional control of the tailwheel equipped biplane following the failure of the left brake master cylinder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1999 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Katy, Texas · Sack-O-Grande · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat S1-11B
- Registration
- N540DM · registry record · serial 4003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the aerobatic biplane during the landing roll due to failure of the brake master cylinder for the left brake. He reported that he had been operating in the designated aerobatic box above the airport for approximately 15 minutes, and while recovering from a hammer head stall, the propeller and engine oversped, and suspecting engine damage, he elected to execute a precautionary landing on runway 27. The airplane touched down about mid-field on the 4,300 foot grass/sod runway. The pilot applied brakes to exit the runway; however, the left brake failed, and the airplane 'made a violent turn to the right.' The tailwheel-equipped airplane nosed over and came to rest in the inverted position. The FAA inspector verified that the master cylinder for the left brake had failed, and braking was not possible. The 1998 model airplane had accumulated a total of 160 hours since new.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 410 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 160 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 28, 1999; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9X59 at 11:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,300 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N540DM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.