N9483LAmerican Aviation AA-1A · 1971

The pilot stated that he was departing from his private airstrip when the airplane experienced a loss of engine power about 100 feet above ground level. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane when the stall warning annunciated and the airplane began to spin. The pilot recovered the airplane about 50 feet above the ground and performed a forced landing at the end of a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot received minor injuries.

The pilot was performing touch-and-go landings on a turf runway covered with approximately 1-inch of wet snow and slush. The pilot had performed four touch-and-goes without incident. During the fifth landing roll, the pilot initially applied brake pressure to slow the airplane, but then released the brakes to allow the airplane to roll further down the runway. The pilot stated that the left brake seized and the airplane swerved to the left. The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted a snowbank and nosed over. A post-accident inspection revealed that the left wheel would not rotate because of ice buildup between the rotor and the brake pad. The airplane was equipped with a castering nose gear and on-ground steering was accomplished solely by differential braking.