Amateur-built Rutan-LongEZ accident near Winder, Georgia, August 6, 2008
On August 6, 2008 at about 6:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Rutan-LongEZ, registered N622EZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Winder, Georgia (Winder-Barrow 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 left brake due to contamination of the brake fluid.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2008 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winder, Georgia · Winder-Barrow Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Rutan-LongEZ
- Registration
- N622EZ · registry record · serial 656
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot purchased the airplane about 2 years prior to the accident; however, the accident flight was the first time he had flown it. On the day of the accident, the pilot performed about 2 hours of taxi testing and noted no problems with the brakes during taxi or before takeoff. He then performed a flight to a nearby airport and after landing when he applied both brakes, the left rudder/brake pedal at first functioned normally, then "sank to a stop." The aircraft veered to the right, off the edge of the runway, where it struck a runway sign before coming to rest about midfield. About 8 weeks prior to the accident, brake fluid was added to both master cylinders and the pilot performed taxi testing. During the testing, he experienced "softening of the brakes" or less resistance than normal. The pilot subsequently examined the brake system and noticed an area of brake fluid that had "lost color" and had faded from red to pink. Testing of the brake system after the accident revealed the left brake never engaged and the right brake functioned normally. An examination of the brake fluid revealed that the fluid in the line for the left brake was several shades lighter than the fluid in the line for the right brake. Examination of maintenance records revealed the airplane had accumulated 7 hours of total time.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Hydraulic fluid › Fluid condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 28, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 26, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,325 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LZU Lawrenceville GA
- Destination: WDR Winder GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from WDR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.