Narrative:

Preflight showed nothing abnormal. After 1 touch and go attempted stop and go. Left brake failed on first application. As I nearly lost directional control, I tried to brake harder, resulting in more loss of control. By releasing all braking and applying left rudder, narrowly avoided simultaneous ground loop and collision with runway lights. Still at nearly takeoff speed, I applied full power and took off. Requested full stop clearance and advised of situation. Approached at best glide and landed as slow as possible, as near the beginning of runway as possible. Rolled out, taxied in and parked west/O incident and west/O a left brake. Plane is a small aircraft. The plate which the brake pads strike had broken off its mount. The brake assembly itself functioned perfectly, but that plate broke off so there was nothing for the brake to grab. This mechanical failure was undoubtedly due to mental fatigue from a lifetime as a trainer and at least 2 yrs in inclement WX. At that moment I doubted my ability to safely stop on remaining runway west/O use of brakes, but had no doubts of the aircraft's ctlability in flight. This it seemed safer to go around again and plan for a no brake rollout. I do not know if I have accidentally violated a regulation or not. I know of no way to prevent recurrence. I do feel every student should be told of this possibility. I also wish there could be a recommended procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF ACFT CTL ON LNDG CAUSES SMA PLT TO MAKE A TOUCH AND GO OUT OF A CLEARED FULL STOP LNDG.

Narrative: PREFLT SHOWED NOTHING ABNORMAL. AFTER 1 TOUCH AND GO ATTEMPTED STOP AND GO. LEFT BRAKE FAILED ON FIRST APPLICATION. AS I NEARLY LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL, I TRIED TO BRAKE HARDER, RESULTING IN MORE LOSS OF CTL. BY RELEASING ALL BRAKING AND APPLYING LEFT RUDDER, NARROWLY AVOIDED SIMULTANEOUS GND LOOP AND COLLISION WITH RWY LIGHTS. STILL AT NEARLY TKOF SPD, I APPLIED FULL PWR AND TOOK OFF. REQUESTED FULL STOP CLRNC AND ADVISED OF SITUATION. APCHED AT BEST GLIDE AND LANDED AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE, AS NEAR THE BEGINNING OF RWY AS POSSIBLE. ROLLED OUT, TAXIED IN AND PARKED W/O INCIDENT AND W/O A LEFT BRAKE. PLANE IS A SMA. THE PLATE WHICH THE BRAKE PADS STRIKE HAD BROKEN OFF ITS MOUNT. THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY ITSELF FUNCTIONED PERFECTLY, BUT THAT PLATE BROKE OFF SO THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THE BRAKE TO GRAB. THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS UNDOUBTEDLY DUE TO MENTAL FATIGUE FROM A LIFETIME AS A TRAINER AND AT LEAST 2 YRS IN INCLEMENT WX. AT THAT MOMENT I DOUBTED MY ABILITY TO SAFELY STOP ON REMAINING RWY W/O USE OF BRAKES, BUT HAD NO DOUBTS OF THE ACFT'S CTLABILITY IN FLT. THIS IT SEEMED SAFER TO GO AROUND AGAIN AND PLAN FOR A NO BRAKE ROLLOUT. I DO NOT KNOW IF I HAVE ACCIDENTALLY VIOLATED A REG OR NOT. I KNOW OF NO WAY TO PREVENT RECURRENCE. I DO FEEL EVERY STUDENT SHOULD BE TOLD OF THIS POSSIBILITY. I ALSO WISH THERE COULD BE A RECOMMENDED PROC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.