Cessna 425 accident near Fresno, California, March 17, 1997
On March 17, 1997 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 425, registered N425TV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fresno, California (Fresno Air Terminal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the right brake to function, due to the installation mechanic's failure to completely bleed all air from the lines. A factor in the accident was the pilot's decision to fly the unairworthy aircraft before the engine/propeller installation had been fully rigged and tested to specification.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1997 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fresno, California · Fresno Air Terminal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 425 · all 425s on the register
- Registration
- N425TV · registry record · serial 425-0176
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Two pilots and a mechanic were going on a postmaintenance test flight to check the ailerons following control system work. The aircraft maintenance records disclosed that the right brake master cylinder was replaced prior to this flight. In addition, the original PT6-112 engines had been replaced by new PT6-135's with new 4-bladed propellers. The company which installed the engines and props said that the engines and props had not been rigged following installation due to the aircraft's scheduled arrival at the paint shop. The rigging was an open item yet to be accomplished at the time of the accident. The pilot said that prior to engine start, he tested and held brakes. Following engine start, the right brake pedal slowly went to the floor, and the aircraft began moving forward and turning left. He attempted to pump the right pedal to restore brake pressure, but without success. A loaded Cessna Citation was directly ahead of the aircraft, and the pilot intentionally kept the aircraft turning left to avoid the jet as he moved the throttle levers into reverse to stop. When the aircraft failed to stop, he pulled the propeller levers into feather and the condition levers to stop. The aircraft continued to move during this process, and the left wing collided with the parked Cessna 425. Examination of the aircraft by FAA airworthiness inspectors revealed that the engine and prop rigging was out of spec to the point that the propeller blades would not move beyond a zero blade angle. Taxi tests disclosed no anomaly with the brakes, and the engines and propellers as rigged would not provide any braking or reverse thrust. Detailed examination of the aircraft revealed no evidence of brake fluid leakage. The right brake master cylinder was removed from the airplane and tested to factory specifications for a new cylinder.
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, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,725 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 2,680 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,724 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 11, 1997; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,200 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6-135A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from FAT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N425TV 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.