The Baron’s cabin entry door popped open during the takeoff roll at the airport in Spring, Texas.
The pilot immediately rejected the takeoff, however the airplane did not slow down.
As he attempted to exit onto a taxiway at the end of the runway, the plane departed the pavement and came to rest in a ditch, causing substantial damage to the forward fuselage, and damage to nose gear and propellers.
During a post-accident inspection, an FAA inspector determined that the left main landing gear brake disc was discolored consistent with overheating. The brake liners were worn at or beyond service limits. The right main landing gear brake disc and liners remained within service limits, although the disc was warped.
Probable Cause: Excessive wear of the left brake liners which reduced brake effectiveness resulting in a runway excursion.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This July 2020 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
At the very least, this sounds like a result of a “kick the tires” type of a preflight inspection.
It’s odd that a lining would wear out between inspections. The pilots should have recognized this early. It is not necessary to make the first turn off after a landing. Useing the phrase “Time is money” is BS if you are the owner of the aircraft!! Warped disc,= abuse. As an owner and a licensed A&P and over 40 years of aircraft maintenance I’ve seen a lot.