Date:	Monday 29 July 2024
Time:	13:30 LT
Type:	Evektor EV-97 Harmony LSA
Owner/operator:	Erdman Aviation LLC
Registration:	N916SR
MSN:	20242249
Year of manufacture:	2024
Total airframe hrs:	25 hours
Engine model:	Rotax 912iS
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Midland International Air and Space Port Airport (KMAF), Midland, TX -   United States of America
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Austin Executive Airport, TX (KEDC)
Destination airport:	Midland International Air and Space Port, TX (MAF/KMAF)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
According to the pilot, she was on a multi-day cross-country flight in the experimental light sport airplane. Two days before the accident, she stopped for fuel and had the brakes serviced because she said the brakes were sticking while taxiing; she reported that the brakes worked fine after the maintenance was performed.
The pilot continued the cross-country flight and stopped at another airport to refuel. The pilot reported that while taxiing from the fuel area to the runway, the right brake became inoperative, and the airplane veered off the taxiway and into the grass. The right landing gear strut broke, and the right wing sustained substantial damage.
The brake system and the steering linkage for the nose landing gear were examined. No anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation of the brakes or steering. The investigators were unable to replicate the brake anomaly.
At the time of the accident the wind was 140° at 11 knots, gusting to 19 knots. It is likely that during the taxi the pilot did not properly account for the gusting wind and lost directional control.

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during taxi due to strong wind gusts.

Weather:
METAR KMAF 291853Z 14011G19KT 9SM CLR 33/17 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP109 T03330172
METAR KMAF 291953Z AUTO 15010G21KT 9SM CLR 35/16 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP101 T03500161
METAR KMAF 292053Z 18007G16KT 9SM CLR 35/17 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP095 T03500167 56018

NTSB CEN24LA289
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N916SR/history/20240729/1600Z/KEDC/KMAF

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
30-Jul-2024 23:38	Captain Adam	Added
31-Jul-2024 06:53	ASN	Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative, ]
10-Aug-2024 09:11	Captain Adam	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Accident report, ]
23-Jul-2025 12:30	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative, Category, ]