Narrative:

I received a cessna 172 skyhawk at the johnstown, PA, municipal airport on oct/xx/95. The aircraft was to be delivered to an aircraft dealer in addison, tx. The previous owners described the aircraft in 'mint' condition. Documents were inspected and aircraft was in airworthy and legal condition. My initial preflight inspection lasted 2 hours. During that inspection, I reviewed the logbooks, aircraft documents, and all areas the logbooks described as repaired. I inspected wheels and brakes and my opinion was that the brake pads were satisfactory, the wheel discs were slightly worn and no hydraulic leak was present. Brake calipers were intact and no fluid was present underneath the wheel. The runup check was positive and correct. The brake check, which from habit I check on every taxi, was satisfactory. The flight encompassed 2 days, 5 legs, 5 lndgs, 995 mi, and 12 hours of flight. I was well rested before both days of flying. All but one landing was accomplished in gusting, strong wind conditions, well within the limitations of both pilot and aircraft. Crosswind components were calculated with use of tower reports and E6-B flight computer. Positive braking action was observed on first 4 lndgs. On landing at addison, I was instructed to make 'short approach.' I landed successfully short of the first taxiway without the use of brakes. I maintained a 'brisk' taxi speed to expedite to the first taxiway. As I approached the taxiway, I began to turn onto the taxiway. At that point, I applied brakes and discovered the right brake had failed and with the left brake applied the aircraft began to ground-loop and veer off the taxiway into the grass. I immediately released the brake and attempted to steer the aircraft solely by use of rudder and nosewheel steering. The aircraft was slowed to a slow walk but on a down hill slope which kept the aircraft moving forward. Directional control was very limited. The aircraft was headed off the taxiway directly for a runway sign. My perception was that the propeller and cowling were going to strike the sign. I was unable to brake and I used full rudder to evade the sign. Fortunately, the correction was enough to clear the propeller and only the wheel pant struck the sign. The aircraft came to a rest gently. The sign was scraped but relatively undamaged and the front of the wheel pant was shattered. I feel that considering the short amount of time I had to make my decision, the surprise of the failure, and the heavy wind conditions, I performed correctly. My perception was that the sign was too close to add throttle and increase rudder effectiveness. I also felt that a ground- loop caused by using the single brake could have aggravated the situation and caused substantial damage. My actions turned what could have been substantial damage into a very minor amount of damage. I have been asked to file only a report with the addison tower. Under NTSB 830, I am not required to file an incident report.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT EXPERIENCES A TXWY EXCURSION AFTER R BRAKE FAILS. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A CESSNA 172 SKYHAWK AT THE JOHNSTOWN, PA, MUNICIPAL ARPT ON OCT/XX/95. THE ACFT WAS TO BE DELIVERED TO AN ACFT DEALER IN ADDISON, TX. THE PREVIOUS OWNERS DESCRIBED THE ACFT IN 'MINT' CONDITION. DOCUMENTS WERE INSPECTED AND ACFT WAS IN AIRWORTHY AND LEGAL CONDITION. MY INITIAL PREFLT INSPECTION LASTED 2 HRS. DURING THAT INSPECTION, I REVIEWED THE LOGBOOKS, ACFT DOCUMENTS, AND ALL AREAS THE LOGBOOKS DESCRIBED AS REPAIRED. I INSPECTED WHEELS AND BRAKES AND MY OPINION WAS THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE SATISFACTORY, THE WHEEL DISCS WERE SLIGHTLY WORN AND NO HYDRAULIC LEAK WAS PRESENT. BRAKE CALIPERS WERE INTACT AND NO FLUID WAS PRESENT UNDERNEATH THE WHEEL. THE RUNUP CHK WAS POSITIVE AND CORRECT. THE BRAKE CHK, WHICH FROM HABIT I CHK ON EVERY TAXI, WAS SATISFACTORY. THE FLT ENCOMPASSED 2 DAYS, 5 LEGS, 5 LNDGS, 995 MI, AND 12 HRS OF FLT. I WAS WELL RESTED BEFORE BOTH DAYS OF FLYING. ALL BUT ONE LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN GUSTING, STRONG WIND CONDITIONS, WELL WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF BOTH PLT AND ACFT. XWIND COMPONENTS WERE CALCULATED WITH USE OF TWR RPTS AND E6-B FLT COMPUTER. POSITIVE BRAKING ACTION WAS OBSERVED ON FIRST 4 LNDGS. ON LNDG AT ADDISON, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE 'SHORT APCH.' I LANDED SUCCESSFULLY SHORT OF THE FIRST TXWY WITHOUT THE USE OF BRAKES. I MAINTAINED A 'BRISK' TAXI SPD TO EXPEDITE TO THE FIRST TXWY. AS I APCHED THE TXWY, I BEGAN TO TURN ONTO THE TXWY. AT THAT POINT, I APPLIED BRAKES AND DISCOVERED THE R BRAKE HAD FAILED AND WITH THE L BRAKE APPLIED THE ACFT BEGAN TO GND-LOOP AND VEER OFF THE TXWY INTO THE GRASS. I IMMEDIATELY RELEASED THE BRAKE AND ATTEMPTED TO STEER THE ACFT SOLELY BY USE OF RUDDER AND NOSEWHEEL STEERING. THE ACFT WAS SLOWED TO A SLOW WALK BUT ON A DOWN HILL SLOPE WHICH KEPT THE ACFT MOVING FORWARD. DIRECTIONAL CTL WAS VERY LIMITED. THE ACFT WAS HEADED OFF THE TXWY DIRECTLY FOR A RWY SIGN. MY PERCEPTION WAS THAT THE PROP AND COWLING WERE GOING TO STRIKE THE SIGN. I WAS UNABLE TO BRAKE AND I USED FULL RUDDER TO EVADE THE SIGN. FORTUNATELY, THE CORRECTION WAS ENOUGH TO CLR THE PROP AND ONLY THE WHEEL PANT STRUCK THE SIGN. THE ACFT CAME TO A REST GENTLY. THE SIGN WAS SCRAPED BUT RELATIVELY UNDAMAGED AND THE FRONT OF THE WHEEL PANT WAS SHATTERED. I FEEL THAT CONSIDERING THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME I HAD TO MAKE MY DECISION, THE SURPRISE OF THE FAILURE, AND THE HVY WIND CONDITIONS, I PERFORMED CORRECTLY. MY PERCEPTION WAS THAT THE SIGN WAS TOO CLOSE TO ADD THROTTLE AND INCREASE RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS. I ALSO FELT THAT A GND- LOOP CAUSED BY USING THE SINGLE BRAKE COULD HAVE AGGRAVATED THE SIT AND CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. MY ACTIONS TURNED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE INTO A VERY MINOR AMOUNT OF DAMAGE. I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO FILE ONLY A RPT WITH THE ADDISON TWR. UNDER NTSB 830, I AM NOT REQUIRED TO FILE AN INCIDENT RPT.

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.