Narrative:

Flight purpose: test flight. After 'B' inspection which included left brake assembly overhaul and nosewheel steering and assembly teardown, inspection (repairs as necessary - - if required) and re-assembly. Exterior preflight inspection: everything normal. Interior preflight inspection: all system normal as per aircraft's checklist. Taxi checks: the only 2 abnormalities found were a slight tendency to turn right by the nosewheel when the 'tiller wheel' was released, and a hydraulic pressure drop (and quickly increase back) from 2000 psi to 1200 psi and back to 2000 psi, which occurred several times during the reverse thrust checks, during taxi to the runway. After parking brake was applied in preparation for 'before takeoff' checks, the hydraulic pressure stabilized at 2000 psi and stayed there from takeoff until landing. Takeoff: takeoff roll, liftoff, climb, gear retraction and flap retraction normal. Approach: flaps extension to 15 degrees 25 degrees, normal. Gear extension: normal. Remaining flaps to full: normal. Hydraulic pressure: 2000 psi. Aircraft confign on short final: as per checklist. Gear down 3 green lights. Flaps full down and indicating. Antiskid on, reversers armed, igniters on and yaw damper disengaged. Landing roll: normal for first 900 ft and touchdown on runway's centerline and touchdown zone (as verified by venezuelan civil aviation inspectors and tower supervisor), then the aircraft turned to the right in spite of attempt by the crew to maintain a straight course. These attempts resulted in aircraft maintaining a proper course (down the runway) but by now only 9 ft from the right edge of the runway. Again, the aircraft began to turn right in spite of full left reverser application (witnesses heard compressor stall), full left brake application (first officer also applied full left brake) along with short releases of right brake (in an attempt to steer left), and full left pedal. The aircraft continued on a right turn until it exited the runway onto the grass. Tire tracks on the grass showed that the right tire uprooted the grass while the left tire only flattened. The right tire also made a trench while the left one only rolled over the ground. (All these verified by venezuelan civil aviation inspectors). The aircraft was stopped by a drainage concrete trench running parallel to the runway about 100 ft to its right or less. The aircraft sustained extensive nose gear damage. Some right main gear damage (undetermined at this time) and very possibly right wing damage at the gear attachment point. The only people on board, the crew, received no injuries, not even a bruise. In my opinion the left brake failed, causing the aircraft to turn to the right and leave the runway. Supplemental information from acn 290557: callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies for an aircraft leasing company. The owner of the aircraft thought that he could save some money by using 'off shore' maintenance. It didn't work out this time. The aircraft is a westwind 1123. The brakes were overhauled in fl, then sent to services for installation. The feeling is that the left brake had air in the lines, that it had not been properly bled prior to flight. The trench and cliff to the right side of the runway are very disconcerting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EXCURSION OFF SIDE OF RWY.

Narrative: FLT PURPOSE: TEST FLT. AFTER 'B' INSPECTION WHICH INCLUDED L BRAKE ASSEMBLY OVERHAUL AND NOSEWHEEL STEERING AND ASSEMBLY TEARDOWN, INSPECTION (REPAIRS AS NECESSARY - - IF REQUIRED) AND RE-ASSEMBLY. EXTERIOR PREFLT INSPECTION: EVERYTHING NORMAL. INTERIOR PREFLT INSPECTION: ALL SYS NORMAL AS PER ACFT'S CHKLIST. TAXI CHKS: THE ONLY 2 ABNORMALITIES FOUND WERE A SLIGHT TENDENCY TO TURN R BY THE NOSEWHEEL WHEN THE 'TILLER WHEEL' WAS RELEASED, AND A HYD PRESSURE DROP (AND QUICKLY INCREASE BACK) FROM 2000 PSI TO 1200 PSI AND BACK TO 2000 PSI, WHICH OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE REVERSE THRUST CHKS, DURING TAXI TO THE RWY. AFTER PARKING BRAKE WAS APPLIED IN PREPARATION FOR 'BEFORE TKOF' CHKS, THE HYD PRESSURE STABILIZED AT 2000 PSI AND STAYED THERE FROM TKOF UNTIL LNDG. TKOF: TKOF ROLL, LIFTOFF, CLB, GEAR RETRACTION AND FLAP RETRACTION NORMAL. APCH: FLAPS EXTENSION TO 15 DEGS 25 DEGS, NORMAL. GEAR EXTENSION: NORMAL. REMAINING FLAPS TO FULL: NORMAL. HYD PRESSURE: 2000 PSI. ACFT CONFIGN ON SHORT FINAL: AS PER CHKLIST. GEAR DOWN 3 GREEN LIGHTS. FLAPS FULL DOWN AND INDICATING. ANTISKID ON, REVERSERS ARMED, IGNITERS ON AND YAW DAMPER DISENGAGED. LNDG ROLL: NORMAL FOR FIRST 900 FT AND TOUCHDOWN ON RWY'S CTRLINE AND TOUCHDOWN ZONE (AS VERIFIED BY VENEZUELAN CIVIL AVIATION INSPECTORS AND TWR SUPVR), THEN THE ACFT TURNED TO THE R IN SPITE OF ATTEMPT BY THE CREW TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT COURSE. THESE ATTEMPTS RESULTED IN ACFT MAINTAINING A PROPER COURSE (DOWN THE RWY) BUT BY NOW ONLY 9 FT FROM THE R EDGE OF THE RWY. AGAIN, THE ACFT BEGAN TO TURN R IN SPITE OF FULL L REVERSER APPLICATION (WITNESSES HEARD COMPRESSOR STALL), FULL L BRAKE APPLICATION (FO ALSO APPLIED FULL L BRAKE) ALONG WITH SHORT RELEASES OF R BRAKE (IN AN ATTEMPT TO STEER L), AND FULL L PEDAL. THE ACFT CONTINUED ON A R TURN UNTIL IT EXITED THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS. TIRE TRACKS ON THE GRASS SHOWED THAT THE R TIRE UPROOTED THE GRASS WHILE THE L TIRE ONLY FLATTENED. THE R TIRE ALSO MADE A TRENCH WHILE THE L ONE ONLY ROLLED OVER THE GND. (ALL THESE VERIFIED BY VENEZUELAN CIVIL AVIATION INSPECTORS). THE ACFT WAS STOPPED BY A DRAINAGE CONCRETE TRENCH RUNNING PARALLEL TO THE RWY ABOUT 100 FT TO ITS R OR LESS. THE ACFT SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE NOSE GEAR DAMAGE. SOME R MAIN GEAR DAMAGE (UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME) AND VERY POSSIBLY R WING DAMAGE AT THE GEAR ATTACHMENT POINT. THE ONLY PEOPLE ON BOARD, THE CREW, RECEIVED NO INJURIES, NOT EVEN A BRUISE. IN MY OPINION THE L BRAKE FAILED, CAUSING THE ACFT TO TURN TO THE R AND LEAVE THE RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 290557: CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES FOR AN ACFT LEASING COMPANY. THE OWNER OF THE ACFT THOUGHT THAT HE COULD SAVE SOME MONEY BY USING 'OFF SHORE' MAINT. IT DIDN'T WORK OUT THIS TIME. THE ACFT IS A WESTWIND 1123. THE BRAKES WERE OVERHAULED IN FL, THEN SENT TO SVCS FOR INSTALLATION. THE FEELING IS THAT THE L BRAKE HAD AIR IN THE LINES, THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY BLED PRIOR TO FLT. THE TRENCH AND CLIFF TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY ARE VERY DISCONCERTING.

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.