A C421 pilot, on rollout at hef, experienced a right brake failure resulting in a runway excursion.

Attributes
ACN	557953
Time
Date	200208
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hef.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Golden Eagle 421
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	557953
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical excursion : runway other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Contacted manassas tower, cleared to land runway 34R. Normal landing, let aircraft slow down without using brakes at first. Last 1/3 of runway, began applying brakes, right brake pedal went all the way to the floor. Left brake normal. Could not avoid braking because end of runway was ahead. With left brake, aircraft slewed to left, went through cut grass and onto taxiway V exiting left from runway 34R end. Upon entering taxiway, able to control aircraft enough with very slow taxi so that tower/ground control directed me to ramp/FBO. There was no observable damage to lights or equipment on runway or taxiway area. Fortunately, was able to avoid any contact with airport lights/equipment. Careful examination of aircraft showed no sign whatsoever of contact or damage with either ground or any object. The grass area was hard and grass was short, surface was flat, no ruts or ditches. The right brake system was examined, and svced by airport maintenance personnel. Thereafter, braking was normal. The aircraft was flown again that day with brakes operating normally. Although no damage or injury of any kind occurred, from now on I will be far more alert to the possibility of brake failure and more conservative in approach/landing in all aircraft, keeping in mind that brakes can and do fail.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C421 PLT, ON ROLLOUT AT HEF, EXPERIENCED A R BRAKE FAILURE RESULTING IN A RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: CONTACTED MANASSAS TWR, CLRED TO LAND RWY 34R. NORMAL LNDG, LET ACFT SLOW DOWN WITHOUT USING BRAKES AT FIRST. LAST 1/3 OF RWY, BEGAN APPLYING BRAKES, R BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. L BRAKE NORMAL. COULD NOT AVOID BRAKING BECAUSE END OF RWY WAS AHEAD. WITH L BRAKE, ACFT SLEWED TO L, WENT THROUGH CUT GRASS AND ONTO TXWY V EXITING L FROM RWY 34R END. UPON ENTERING TXWY, ABLE TO CTL ACFT ENOUGH WITH VERY SLOW TAXI SO THAT TWR/GND CTL DIRECTED ME TO RAMP/FBO. THERE WAS NO OBSERVABLE DAMAGE TO LIGHTS OR EQUIP ON RWY OR TXWY AREA. FORTUNATELY, WAS ABLE TO AVOID ANY CONTACT WITH ARPT LIGHTS/EQUIP. CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF ACFT SHOWED NO SIGN WHATSOEVER OF CONTACT OR DAMAGE WITH EITHER GND OR ANY OBJECT. THE GRASS AREA WAS HARD AND GRASS WAS SHORT, SURFACE WAS FLAT, NO RUTS OR DITCHES. THE R BRAKE SYS WAS EXAMINED, AND SVCED BY ARPT MAINT PERSONNEL. THEREAFTER, BRAKING WAS NORMAL. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN AGAIN THAT DAY WITH BRAKES OPERATING NORMALLY. ALTHOUGH NO DAMAGE OR INJURY OF ANY KIND OCCURRED, FROM NOW ON I WILL BE FAR MORE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF BRAKE FAILURE AND MORE CONSERVATIVE IN APCH/LNDG IN ALL ACFT, KEEPING IN MIND THAT BRAKES CAN AND DO FAIL.

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.