Nelson Murphy SR3500 Moose accident near Roche Harbor, Washington, June 15, 2007
On June 15, 2007 at about 1:00 am local time, a Nelson Murphy SR3500 Moose, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N623AM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Roche Harbor, Washington (Roche Harbor Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The jamming of the left brake during landing. A factor was the kit manufacturer's design of the brake system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2007 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Roche Harbor, Washington · Roche Harbor Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Nelson Murphy SR3500 Moose, amateur-built
- Registration
- N623AM · registry record · serial SR123
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was landing on runway 07 with a 5-knot right crosswind. He said that shortly after touchdown, the aircraft started a slight drift to the right. The pilot said he applied left rudder to compensate and felt a "thunk" as the left rudder pedal locked forward, over center, underneath the brake pedal, which prevented the use of the left brake. The aircraft briefly lurched to the left. He applied hard right rudder, but with no apparent effect. He next applied right brake and intentionally ground looped the aircraft to prevent going down an embankment on the south side of the runway. The airplane's left main landing gear collapsed, followed by the left wing, left aileron, and forward fuselage being wrinkled and bent. The pilot said that the rudder/brake pedal assembly has only one master cylinder for the braking system and it is located on the right hand side. He said there is a mechanical linkage from the right to the left, which is prone to jamming in certain rudder pedal deflections. He said that other pilot's have reported this problem with their amateur-built airplanes manufactured from the same kit.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,265 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vendeneyev M-14P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74S Anacortes WA
- Destination: WA09 Roche Harbor WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 3,593 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.