Narrative:

On the morning of aug/xx/94, I preflted my aircraft, (a 1969 siai marchetti S205/22R), started it, and taxied along a parallel taxiway, and then back-taxied toward the east end of runway 26 at neil armstrong airport (axv) to proceed with my run-up. While I back-taxied the runway, I allowed the gndspd to reach about 20 KTS. As I approached the end of the runway, I applied both toe-brakes to slow the aircraft, but found that there was no resistance in the left brake pedal (the left brake failed.) I was getting good braking on the right side, but no braking at all on the left side. This condition caused the aircraft to veer to the right. I released the brakes to allow the aircraft to roll in a straight line, and pumped the left brake several times (perhaps as many as 5). I was now approaching the end of the runway, however, and had to apply the right brake again to slow the aircraft. I tried to hold the runway by steering the nosewheel a bit to the left, while applying the right brake to slow the aircraft. It continued to veer to the right, and into the turnaround area at the end of the runway. At this point, I would judge my forward speed to be not more than 10 KTS. The aircraft continued to veer, and I released the brakes and pulled back on the yoke as it left the asphalt and rolled into the grass. I was able to maintain directional control, and rolled through a small depression, and up a shallow grade, through grass and alfalfa approximately 10-12 inches high. At this point, the nose-gear (landing gear) collapsed, and as the nose dropped to the ground, the propeller struck the earth, which was relatively soft, but caused both blades of the propeller to be bent. The distance from where the nose wheel left the paved surface to the point where the nose came to rest on the ground was approximately 35 ft. At the point when the nose-gear collapsed, I believe the forward speed of the aircraft was something between 3 and 5 KTS, and the engine was at idle, perhaps turning the propeller at about 650 RPM. I was the only occupant of the aircraft, and received no injuries whatsoever. There was no property damaged. Other than the nose-wheel assembly and the propeller blades, damage to the aircraft was minimal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L BRAKE FAILED WHILE BACK TAXIING ON RWY. THE RPTR RAN OFF THE RWY AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF AUG/XX/94, I PREFLTED MY ACFT, (A 1969 SIAI MARCHETTI S205/22R), STARTED IT, AND TAXIED ALONG A PARALLEL TXWY, AND THEN BACK-TAXIED TOWARD THE E END OF RWY 26 AT NEIL ARMSTRONG ARPT (AXV) TO PROCEED WITH MY RUN-UP. WHILE I BACK-TAXIED THE RWY, I ALLOWED THE GNDSPD TO REACH ABOUT 20 KTS. AS I APCHED THE END OF THE RWY, I APPLIED BOTH TOE-BRAKES TO SLOW THE ACFT, BUT FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO RESISTANCE IN THE L BRAKE PEDAL (THE L BRAKE FAILED.) I WAS GETTING GOOD BRAKING ON THE R SIDE, BUT NO BRAKING AT ALL ON THE L SIDE. THIS CONDITION CAUSED THE ACFT TO VEER TO THE R. I RELEASED THE BRAKES TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO ROLL IN A STRAIGHT LINE, AND PUMPED THE L BRAKE SEVERAL TIMES (PERHAPS AS MANY AS 5). I WAS NOW APCHING THE END OF THE RWY, HOWEVER, AND HAD TO APPLY THE R BRAKE AGAIN TO SLOW THE ACFT. I TRIED TO HOLD THE RWY BY STEERING THE NOSEWHEEL A BIT TO THE L, WHILE APPLYING THE R BRAKE TO SLOW THE ACFT. IT CONTINUED TO VEER TO THE R, AND INTO THE TURNAROUND AREA AT THE END OF THE RWY. AT THIS POINT, I WOULD JUDGE MY FORWARD SPD TO BE NOT MORE THAN 10 KTS. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO VEER, AND I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AS IT LEFT THE ASPHALT AND ROLLED INTO THE GRASS. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL, AND ROLLED THROUGH A SMALL DEPRESSION, AND UP A SHALLOW GRADE, THROUGH GRASS AND ALFALFA APPROX 10-12 INCHES HIGH. AT THIS POINT, THE NOSE-GEAR (LNDG GEAR) COLLAPSED, AND AS THE NOSE DROPPED TO THE GND, THE PROP STRUCK THE EARTH, WHICH WAS RELATIVELY SOFT, BUT CAUSED BOTH BLADES OF THE PROP TO BE BENT. THE DISTANCE FROM WHERE THE NOSE WHEEL LEFT THE PAVED SURFACE TO THE POINT WHERE THE NOSE CAME TO REST ON THE GND WAS APPROX 35 FT. AT THE POINT WHEN THE NOSE-GEAR COLLAPSED, I BELIEVE THE FORWARD SPD OF THE ACFT WAS SOMETHING BTWN 3 AND 5 KTS, AND THE ENG WAS AT IDLE, PERHAPS TURNING THE PROP AT ABOUT 650 RPM. I WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE ACFT, AND RECEIVED NO INJURIES WHATSOEVER. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGED. OTHER THAN THE NOSE-WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND THE PROP BLADES, DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS MINIMAL.

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.