Boeing B75N1 accident near Chehalis, Washington, April 30, 1999
On April 30, 1999 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Boeing B75N1, registered N275HP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chehalis, Washington (Chehalis-Centralia 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
Directional control was not maintained after the right brake locked up for undetermined reasons. An uncontrolled ground loop was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 1999 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chehalis, Washington · Chehalis-Centralia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B75N1 · all B75N1s on the register
- Registration
- N275HP · registry record · serial 75-7561
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the landing was made with a slight crosswind from the left. The pilot stated that during the landing roll, the right brake locked during normal corrective braking for directional control and stopping. The airplane swerved to the right and the pilot was unable to correct with left rudder control and left braking action. The airplane subsequently ground looped to the right. After the accident, a 50-foot long arcing skid mark was noted on the runway. The pilot stated that he thought that moisture might have caused the brake malfunction, as the airplane had not been flown for several months. The pilot also stated that he could not duplicate the 'locked brake' during subsequent taxiing. A mechanic inspected the brake after the accident and reported no evidence was found to indicate a mechanical failure or malfunction. In a later written statement, he noted that drum type brakes such as those that were on the Stearman are notorious for grabbing due to moisture. The pilot had disc brakes installed on the airplane after it was repaired following the accident. A mechanic had noted no visual mechanical discrepancies of the wheel or brake when he looked at them a few weeks after the accident. When the airplane was reassembled after repair, the right wheel was jacked up and the wheel was spun and the brake applied for proper action.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,800 hours in all; 480 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,715 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 397 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 1998; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OLM Olympia WA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: CLS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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 N275HP 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.