GA small aircraft had a brake fire after landing. Reporter thinks new non asbestos lining should be ...

Attributes
ACN	197541
Time
Date	199112
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 5j9
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	197541
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During landing roll-out right main landing gear disc brake pad failed. A small fire occurred which self extinguished. No damage to aircraft. Inspection by an ia revealed the failed brake pad lining had broken, allowing the retaining rivet to contact the wheel disc. Time in service of part: approximately 10 hours. The operator of the aircraft has a fleet of 5 small aircraft aircraft as well as numerous other fleet aircraft. An inspection of repair records revealed that since 9/91, a new composition brake pad lining has been in use. The new composition apparently does not contain asbestos. In my opinion the removal of the asbestos has apparently weakened the structure of the pad lining and reduced the effectiveness of the lining to withstand the thermal stresses encountered during the landing roll, especially during maximum braking could have catastrophic results. I recommend that a search of the sdr database be conducted for similar occurrences and if a correlation is found between the type of occurrence and the change in pad composition, a suitability study be conducted to find a suitable material for use in these brake systems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA HAD A BRAKE FIRE AFTER LNDG. RPTR THINKS NEW NON ASBESTOS LINING SHOULD BE REEVALUATED.

Narrative: DURING LNDG ROLL-OUT R MAIN LNDG GEAR DISC BRAKE PAD FAILED. A SMALL FIRE OCCURRED WHICH SELF EXTINGUISHED. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. INSPECTION BY AN IA REVEALED THE FAILED BRAKE PAD LINING HAD BROKEN, ALLOWING THE RETAINING RIVET TO CONTACT THE WHEEL DISC. TIME IN SVC OF PART: APPROX 10 HOURS. THE OPERATOR OF THE ACFT HAS A FLEET OF 5 SMA ACFT AS WELL AS NUMEROUS OTHER FLEET ACFT. AN INSPECTION OF REPAIR RECORDS REVEALED THAT SINCE 9/91, A NEW COMPOSITION BRAKE PAD LINING HAS BEEN IN USE. THE NEW COMPOSITION APPARENTLY DOES NOT CONTAIN ASBESTOS. IN MY OPINION THE REMOVAL OF THE ASBESTOS HAS APPARENTLY WEAKENED THE STRUCTURE OF THE PAD LINING AND REDUCED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LINING TO WITHSTAND THE THERMAL STRESSES ENCOUNTERED DURING THE LNDG ROLL, ESPECIALLY DURING MAX BRAKING COULD HAVE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. I RECOMMEND THAT A SEARCH OF THE SDR DATABASE BE CONDUCTED FOR SIMILAR OCCURRENCES AND IF A CORRELATION IS FOUND BTWN THE TYPE OF OCCURRENCE AND THE CHANGE IN PAD COMPOSITION, A SUITABILITY STUDY BE CONDUCTED TO FIND A SUITABLE MATERIAL FOR USE IN THESE BRAKE SYSTEMS.

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.

GA small aircraft had a brake fire after landing. Reporter thinks new non asbestos lining should be reevaluated.