A L39C albatros while taxiing experienced main brake system failure. Aircraft rolled into ditch incu...

Attributes
ACN	569631
Time
Date	200212
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Military Trainer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 110
ASRS Report	569631
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical excursion : taxiway other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After landing, cleared to hangar on taxiway, brake system failed. Aircraft headed toward ditch. I shut down engine. Unable to reach the emergency brake due to the shoulder harness. Aircraft went into ditch at walking speed. Switches secured. No injury. Damage to nose cone, left wing tip tank damaged. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this airplane is built in czechoslovakia as a jet fighter trainer and the braking system is unconventional. The reporter said the main brake control is operated from the cockpit control sticks similar to a motorcycle throttle handle. The reporter stated since the airplane was a trainer the aft cockpit instructor's position had the main brake control and if not operated then control was transferred to the forward cockpit control stick. The reporter said a pin in the aft cockpit control stick brake handle failed and did not transfer control to the forward cockpit control stick braking handle. The reporter said the airplane was taxiing at walking speed and the damage was mainly to the paint. The reporter stated the failed pin was welded and brake operation was normal but believes this pin could be trouble. The reporter said there are approximately 400 of these aircraft in north america. Additional information was obtained from the reporter. Reporter said that the brake problem that he encountered had been fixed in later model aircraft. The brakes have been relocated to the rudder pedals as with most aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A L39C ALBATROS WHILE TAXIING EXPERIENCED MAIN BRAKE SYS FAILURE. ACFT ROLLED INTO DITCH INCURRING SLIGHT DAMAGE TO NOSE AND LEFT WING TIP TANK.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG, CLRED TO HANGAR ON TXWY, BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. ACFT HEADED TOWARD DITCH. I SHUT DOWN ENG. UNABLE TO REACH THE EMER BRAKE DUE TO THE SHOULDER HARNESS. ACFT WENT INTO DITCH AT WALKING SPEED. SWITCHES SECURED. NO INJURY. DAMAGE TO NOSE CONE, L WING TIP TANK DAMAGED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS AIRPLANE IS BUILT IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA AS A JET FIGHTER TRAINER AND THE BRAKING SYS IS UNCONVENTIONAL. THE RPTR SAID THE MAIN BRAKE CTL IS OPERATED FROM THE COCKPIT CTL STICKS SIMILAR TO A MOTORCYCLE THROTTLE HANDLE. THE RPTR STATED SINCE THE AIRPLANE WAS A TRAINER THE AFT COCKPIT INSTRUCTOR'S POSITION HAD THE MAIN BRAKE CTL AND IF NOT OPERATED THEN CTL WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE FORWARD COCKPIT CTL STICK. THE RPTR SAID A PIN IN THE AFT COCKPIT CTL STICK BRAKE HANDLE FAILED AND DID NOT TRANSFER CTL TO THE FORWARD COCKPIT CTL STICK BRAKING HANDLE. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIING AT WALKING SPEED AND THE DAMAGE WAS MAINLY TO THE PAINT. THE RPTR STATED THE FAILED PIN WAS WELDED AND BRAKE OP WAS NORMAL BUT BELIEVES THIS PIN COULD BE TROUBLE. THE RPTR SAID THERE ARE APPROX 400 OF THESE ACFT IN NORTH AMERICA. ADDITIONAL INFO WAS OBTAINED FROM THE RPTR. RPTR SAID THAT THE BRAKE PROB THAT HE ENCOUNTERED HAD BEEN FIXED IN LATER MODEL ACFT. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN RELOCATED TO THE RUDDER PEDALS AS WITH MOST ACFT.

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.

A L39C albatros while taxiing experienced main brake system failure. Aircraft rolled into ditch incurring slight damage to nose and left wing tip tank.