Narrative:

Going to greater pit to pick up a passenger for mr Y, who also owns the aircraft. The aircraft we were going to fly is an small transport twin. After checking the WX, I preflted the airplane and prepared the cabin for flight. Nothing unusual at this point. I then contacted altoona FSS to file a round-robin IFR from 2g3 to pit. Mr X was filed as the PIC. Since we were not carrying passenger, I intended to fly from the left seat. I asked mr X to get the brakes, while I pulled the chock. After doing this, I entered the aircraft and proceeded to start the aircraft, after starting, we turned on all electrical items on that were essential to the flight. Our intentions were to pick up our IFR clearance in the air. I started to taxi the airplane down the ramp, hit the brakes, the aircraft lunged forward, and I proceeded to taxi to runway 23, at 2g3, to the run-up area. At about 2/3 of the taxiway, which has an upslope of 3 degrees, the airplane went to the right. I attempted to correct this by left rudder and brake. There wasn't any left brake. I attempted differential power from the right engine, to no avail. It happened in approximately 2 seconds. I chopped the throttles and tried both brakes. The aircraft continued off the taxiway to the right and onto a grassy area. The nose wheel collapsed to the left of the aircraft and the propellers dug into the sod and stopped. I shut off all electrical items and exited the airplane. From assistance from the FBO personnel, we placed barrels under the tip tanks to capture fuel from the tips overflow. I went to the FBO and called the FAA. A representative of operations and an FAA mechanic came to investigate. They found the left brake reservoir to be completely dry, no fluid was located on the left brake. They described this as a maintenance function. I had no knowledge of any brake problems prior to this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF ACFT CTL IN TAXIING TFC RESULTS IN DAMAGE TO CPR SMT.

Narrative: GOING TO GREATER PIT TO PICK UP A PAX FOR MR Y, WHO ALSO OWNS THE ACFT. THE ACFT WE WERE GOING TO FLY IS AN SMT TWIN. AFTER CHKING THE WX, I PREFLTED THE AIRPLANE AND PREPARED THE CABIN FOR FLT. NOTHING UNUSUAL AT THIS POINT. I THEN CONTACTED ALTOONA FSS TO FILE A ROUND-ROBIN IFR FROM 2G3 TO PIT. MR X WAS FILED AS THE PIC. SINCE WE WERE NOT CARRYING PAX, I INTENDED TO FLY FROM THE L SEAT. I ASKED MR X TO GET THE BRAKES, WHILE I PULLED THE CHOCK. AFTER DOING THIS, I ENTERED THE ACFT AND PROCEEDED TO START THE ACFT, AFTER STARTING, WE TURNED ON ALL ELECTRICAL ITEMS ON THAT WERE ESSENTIAL TO THE FLT. OUR INTENTIONS WERE TO PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC IN THE AIR. I STARTED TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE DOWN THE RAMP, HIT THE BRAKES, THE ACFT LUNGED FORWARD, AND I PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO RWY 23, AT 2G3, TO THE RUN-UP AREA. AT ABOUT 2/3 OF THE TAXIWAY, WHICH HAS AN UPSLOPE OF 3 DEGS, THE AIRPLANE WENT TO THE R. I ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THIS BY L RUDDER AND BRAKE. THERE WASN'T ANY L BRAKE. I ATTEMPTED DIFFERENTIAL PWR FROM THE R ENG, TO NO AVAIL. IT HAPPENED IN APPROX 2 SECONDS. I CHOPPED THE THROTTLES AND TRIED BOTH BRAKES. THE ACFT CONTINUED OFF THE TAXIWAY TO THE R AND ONTO A GRASSY AREA. THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED TO THE L OF THE ACFT AND THE PROPS DUG INTO THE SOD AND STOPPED. I SHUT OFF ALL ELECTRICAL ITEMS AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE. FROM ASSISTANCE FROM THE FBO PERSONNEL, WE PLACED BARRELS UNDER THE TIP TANKS TO CAPTURE FUEL FROM THE TIPS OVERFLOW. I WENT TO THE FBO AND CALLED THE FAA. A REPRESENTATIVE OF OPS AND AN FAA MECH CAME TO INVESTIGATE. THEY FOUND THE L BRAKE RESERVOIR TO BE COMPLETELY DRY, NO FLUID WAS LOCATED ON THE L BRAKE. THEY DESCRIBED THIS AS A MAINT FUNCTION. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY BRAKE PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS.

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.