C310 pilot reports brake failure and runway excursion at apa during takeoff attempt.

Attributes
ACN	729247
Time
Date	200702
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apa.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2650 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	729247
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical excursion : runway maintenance problem : improper maintenance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On takeoff runway 17L apa at XA10; the aircraft veered to the left. In an attempt to regain control through differential power and braking; the right brake was inoperative and power was insufficient to re-center the nose gear. (After 15 degrees left/right; the nose gear becomes free castering.) power was retarded and the aircraft momentum led the airplane just off the left side of the runway. Upon removing the aircraft; inspection showed no damage to the airport or airplane. Further inspection showed a lot of dirt on the left wheel assembly indicating a dragging brake or locked up. The right brake failed due to the air in the system and insufficient fluid to compress the caliper. The left brake locked as dragging made the aircraft veer left and the right brake failure led to an inability to maintain directional control with differential thrust alone; since the nose was free castered. Brake inspection during preflight and test on taxi and runup revealed normal and working properly. Maintenance stated the low fluid allowed for sufficient braking to the point where the pad wore down enough to allow for an instant ingestion of air into the system upon brake release and resulting in loss of brake availability. It seemed this occurred upon release of brakes for takeoff roll and along with the left brake dragging led to the occurrence. No damage was incurred in any way.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C310 PILOT REPORTS BRAKE FAILURE AND RWY EXCURSION AT APA DURING TAKEOFF ATTEMPT.

Narrative: ON TKOF RWY 17L APA AT XA10; THE ACFT VEERED TO THE L. IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN CTL THROUGH DIFFERENTIAL PWR AND BRAKING; THE R BRAKE WAS INOP AND PWR WAS INSUFFICIENT TO RE-CTR THE NOSE GEAR. (AFTER 15 DEGS L/R; THE NOSE GEAR BECOMES FREE CASTERING.) PWR WAS RETARDED AND THE ACFT MOMENTUM LED THE AIRPLANE JUST OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. UPON REMOVING THE ACFT; INSPECTION SHOWED NO DAMAGE TO THE ARPT OR AIRPLANE. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED A LOT OF DIRT ON THE L WHEEL ASSEMBLY INDICATING A DRAGGING BRAKE OR LOCKED UP. THE R BRAKE FAILED DUE TO THE AIR IN THE SYS AND INSUFFICIENT FLUID TO COMPRESS THE CALIPER. THE L BRAKE LOCKED AS DRAGGING MADE THE ACFT VEER L AND THE R BRAKE FAILURE LED TO AN INABILITY TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL WITH DIFFERENTIAL THRUST ALONE; SINCE THE NOSE WAS FREE CASTERED. BRAKE INSPECTION DURING PREFLT AND TEST ON TAXI AND RUNUP REVEALED NORMAL AND WORKING PROPERLY. MAINT STATED THE LOW FLUID ALLOWED FOR SUFFICIENT BRAKING TO THE POINT WHERE THE PAD WORE DOWN ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR AN INSTANT INGESTION OF AIR INTO THE SYS UPON BRAKE RELEASE AND RESULTING IN LOSS OF BRAKE AVAILABILITY. IT SEEMED THIS OCCURRED UPON RELEASE OF BRAKES FOR TKOF ROLL AND ALONG WITH THE L BRAKE DRAGGING LED TO THE OCCURRENCE. NO DAMAGE WAS INCURRED IN ANY WAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.