Piper PA-22-135 accident near Emmett, Idaho, November 23, 2003
On November 23, 2003 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-135, registered N8982C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Emmett, Idaho (Emmett Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Brake failure as a result of inadequate hydraulic (brake) fluid in the aircraft's closed brake system. Contributing factors were the pilot's overall lack of experience in the aircraft make/model, the cold soaked brake system due to the low temperatures, and the embankment and ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2003 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Emmett, Idaho · Emmett Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-135 · all PA-22-135s on the register
- Registration
- N8982C · registry record · serial 22-1565
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 118 hour pilot had less than 16 hours in the make/model, and the aircraft was equipped with a closed hydraulic brake system which was temperature sensitive. The pilot departed on a local flight, flew two touch and go landings and then climbed out to a higher (cooler) altitude before returning to the airfield for a full stop landing. During the landing roll the pilot was unable to achieve braking and the aircraft rolled off the upwind end of the runway, down an embankment and into a ditch. A significant drop in temperature had taken place over the previous several days to the flight and, according to a pilot/mechanic with 40 years of experience in the make/model, the aircraft's braking system would become ineffective if the system had less than optimal amount of hydraulic fluid and was then subjected to a significant cold soaking. Post-crash examination of the brakes by an FAA inspector revealed no mechanical malfunction, however the examination was conducted in a heated hangar.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 118 hours in all; 16 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 7, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,048 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 2003; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S78 Emmett ID at 7:15 pm
- Destination: S78
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,250 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from EUL, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
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.