A PA31's left brake failed on landing; the aircraft exited the runway and struck a light damaging a ...

Attributes
ACN	838444
Time
Date	200906
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo/Chieftan/Mojave/T1040
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Landing
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Normal Brake System
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Instrument
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100 Flight Crew Total 1300 Flight Crew Type 15
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control

Narrative:

After a normal approach and landing I went up on the brakes to slow the airplane down and the brake pressure on the left brake slowly went away allowing the airplane to veer to the right of the runway centerline. Without the ability to slow the airplane straight ahead; the other pilot and myself applied full left rudder and applied right brake slowly to stop the airplane as much as possible. As the airplane slowed down rudder effectiveness was lost and the airplane eventually went off the right side of the runway with about 2;000 feet remaining. When the airplane left the runway the propeller struck a runway light and the light hit the left side of the fuselage. The airplane was able to taxi to the ramp with no other or new issues other than the brake. We had very little to no breaking action on the left tire. We used differential power and the right brake to bring the airplane to the ramp and stop.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA31's left brake failed on landing; the aircraft exited the runway and struck a light damaging a prop and the fuselage.

Narrative: After a normal approach and landing I went up on the brakes to slow the airplane down and the brake pressure on the left brake slowly went away allowing the airplane to veer to the right of the runway centerline. Without the ability to slow the airplane straight ahead; the other pilot and myself applied full left rudder and applied right brake slowly to stop the airplane as much as possible. As the airplane slowed down rudder effectiveness was lost and the airplane eventually went off the right side of the runway with about 2;000 feet remaining. When the airplane left the runway the propeller struck a runway light and the light hit the left side of the fuselage. The airplane was able to taxi to the ramp with no other or new issues other than the brake. We had very little to no breaking action on the left tire. We used differential power and the right brake to bring the airplane to the ramp and stop.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.