Air Tractor Inc AT-502, N1002L; Accident occurred June 16, 2016 in Delhi, Richland Parish, Louisiana

http://registry.faa.gov/N1002L

NTSB Identification: GAA16CA321
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Wednesday, June 15, 2016 in Delhi, LA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/12/2016
Aircraft: AIR TRACTOR INC AT 502, registration: N1002L
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

During a telephone interview, the pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll on a private agricultural airstrip, a piece of concrete from the runway chipped off and hit the right brake. The pilot further reported that he applied the brakes to stop on the runway and then ground looped to the left. During the ground loop, the fuselage sustained substantial damage.

The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

A postaccident mechanical inspection revealed that the hydraulic line on the right main landing gear was severed, which would have made the right brake inoperable.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll as a result of a piece of concrete from the runway impacting the right main landing gear brake during the landing roll, resulting in a right brake failure and a ground loop.