N5480F

On September 2, 1996, at 1249 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N5480F, ran off the runway while landing at the Kern Valley Airport, Kernville, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; however, neither the pilot nor his two passengers were injured. The aircraft was rented from Bartlett Aviation, Inc., of El Monte, California, for a personal flight when the accident occurred. The flight originated about 1120 in El Monte. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported that he completed a short field approach to the numbers on runway 17. After landing, he rolled out about 1,500 feet before applying the brakes. At that position on the runway he discovered that he had no braking action. As the aircraft neared the departure end, the pilot concluded that he did not have enough runway remaining to takeoff, electing instead to attempt a right turn off the runway. After the turnoff, the aircraft struck a pile of rocks that was located next to the runway.

The airport manager at Kern Valley airport witnessed the event. He stated that the approach appeared neither high, fast, nor long. The landing seemed normal until it became obvious that the aircraft was neither stopping nor going around. Another witness, who was also located at the airport, provided the FAA inspector a similar account of the accident.

A postaccident inspection by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that the left brake 90-degree fitting had threads that were stripped, or were missing. No brake fluid was found in the brake reservoir. The left main gear exhibited some impact damage. There were no skid marks visible on the runway. There were no flat spots visible on either of the main gear tires. The runway was clean and dry and the surface was free of spalling.

The aircraft manufacturer's representative stated that, under the conditions described by the pilot, the aircraft was capable of going around from the position on the runway at which the brake failure was discovered. Assuming a maximum gross weight for the aircraft, zero wind, and a density altitude of 4,500 feet, he estimated that the aircraft would have required no more than 1,250 feet of ground roll to successfully complete the maneuver. The pilot stated that he discovered the brake failure at the 1,500-foot point on a 3,500-foot runway.