Runway excursion after suffering from aircraft equipment problem, brake failure.

Attributes
ACN	279938
Time
Date	199408
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : isp
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1480 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	279938
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Landed normally on runway 24 at isp. Was told to turn off at taxiway bravo. As brakes were applied on runway, aircraft began to drift to the left as we approached bravo. This was followed by a total failure of the right brake. Noticing numerous aircraft on the adjoining taxiway charlie, I didn't want to enter the taxiway in a position of not being able to maneuver properly. I used the right rudder to try to steer back onto the runway. The nosewheel steering wasn't able to turn the aircraft sharply enough, and the aircraft left the paved surface and hit a taxiway light, and the taxiway sigh. Aircraft damage was limited to a bent propeller tip. No other damage to the aircraft is evident. Had this brake failure not occurred, I believe strongly that this incident would never have happened. The WX conditions were light winds, clear skies and excellent visibility after some very bad WX the previous days. This, coupled with the fact it was a saturday morning, made the airport very busy. I feel that if I had entered that busy taxiway in the mechanically deficient condition I was in, the changes for more severe damage to this and other aircraft, as well as possible injury, were likely.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY EXCURSION AFTER SUFFERING FROM ACFT EQUIP PROB, BRAKE FAILURE.

Narrative: LANDED NORMALLY ON RWY 24 AT ISP. WAS TOLD TO TURN OFF AT TXWY BRAVO. AS BRAKES WERE APPLIED ON RWY, ACFT BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE L AS WE APCHED BRAVO. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE R BRAKE. NOTICING NUMEROUS ACFT ON THE ADJOINING TXWY CHARLIE, I DIDN'T WANT TO ENTER THE TXWY IN A POS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MANEUVER PROPERLY. I USED THE R RUDDER TO TRY TO STEER BACK ONTO THE RWY. THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WASN'T ABLE TO TURN THE ACFT SHARPLY ENOUGH, AND THE ACFT LEFT THE PAVED SURFACE AND HIT A TXWY LIGHT, AND THE TXWY SIGH. ACFT DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A BENT PROP TIP. NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ACFT IS EVIDENT. HAD THIS BRAKE FAILURE NOT OCCURRED, I BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT THIS INCIDENT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. THE WX CONDITIONS WERE LIGHT WINDS, CLR SKIES AND EXCELLENT VISIBILITY AFTER SOME VERY BAD WX THE PREVIOUS DAYS. THIS, COUPLED WITH THE FACT IT WAS A SATURDAY MORNING, MADE THE ARPT VERY BUSY. I FEEL THAT IF I HAD ENTERED THAT BUSY TXWY IN THE MECHANICALLY DEFICIENT CONDITION I WAS IN, THE CHANGES FOR MORE SEVERE DAMAGE TO THIS AND OTHER ACFT, AS WELL AS POSSIBLE INJURY, WERE LIKELY.

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.