Narrative:

Cleared for takeoff at rdg on our way to phl, our first flight of the day. Checks were completed and the aircraft log books and runups were signed off. All pretkof and lineup checks were completed. No indication of a problem appeared. As sic, it was my leg. I brought propellers and fuel up on the light transport and also brought the torque up to 2000# for the PIC to set takeoff power. As the PIC brought up the torque, a hydraulic left light appeared on our annunciator panel. At this point the PIC double-checked the hydraulic panel to verify system pressure and contents. PIC yelled good indications, and at this point the annunciator light went out. As more torque was applied, both lights appeared. At this point the captain initiated an abort. As the captain went to apply the brakes, he noted to me that he lost all braking action. At the same time, the captain put the aircraft into ground fine to help aid the aircraft to stop. With no brakes available, we were unable to stop the aircraft, thus the aircraft was steered by rudder control off the end of the runway with a grass area about 15' off the end of the runway. The engines were stopped. We verified no fire and deplaned all passenger for later flts to phl. Later than morning it was found by maintenance that nitrogen pressure had leaked into the reservoir contents, and there was no way to see this by looking at our hydraulic panel. This incident occurred on a 5000' runway. We had an option for a 7000' runway, however with prevailing winds at 060 degrees at 7 KTS, we elected to go with the 5000' runway 36 as opposed to the 7000' runway 13 or 31. It was concluded by mechanics that day it was a systems failure that was out of our hands; however, we felt with correct temperature of 15 degrees F and the winds, a runway 36 was ok for takeoff. Thought it was felt by the PIC and me that if the longer runway was used, this situation of running off into the grass could have been avoided. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: decision to use the shorter runway not questioned by FAA or company. Was very cold, but the runway conditions were dry--no patches of ice or snow. Maintenance suspects a seal let go account the cold WX, causing the complete failure of the brake system. Speed leaving the runway estimated 15-20 mph. Captain able to steer clear of runway end lights. After maintenance, the aircraft was taxied to the gate, ground surface being hard and frozen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORT ACCOUNT HYDRAULIC WARNING. BRAKES FAILED OFF END OF RWY.

Narrative: CLRED FOR TKOF AT RDG ON OUR WAY TO PHL, OUR FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. CHKS WERE COMPLETED AND THE ACFT LOG BOOKS AND RUNUPS WERE SIGNED OFF. ALL PRETKOF AND LINEUP CHKS WERE COMPLETED. NO INDICATION OF A PROB APPEARED. AS SIC, IT WAS MY LEG. I BROUGHT PROPS AND FUEL UP ON THE LTT AND ALSO BROUGHT THE TORQUE UP TO 2000# FOR THE PIC TO SET TKOF PWR. AS THE PIC BROUGHT UP THE TORQUE, A HYD LEFT LIGHT APPEARED ON OUR ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. AT THIS POINT THE PIC DOUBLE-CHKED THE HYD PANEL TO VERIFY SYS PRESSURE AND CONTENTS. PIC YELLED GOOD INDICATIONS, AND AT THIS POINT THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT WENT OUT. AS MORE TORQUE WAS APPLIED, BOTH LIGHTS APPEARED. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT INITIATED AN ABORT. AS THE CAPT WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES, HE NOTED TO ME THAT HE LOST ALL BRAKING ACTION. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CAPT PUT THE ACFT INTO GND FINE TO HELP AID THE ACFT TO STOP. WITH NO BRAKES AVAILABLE, WE WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE ACFT, THUS THE ACFT WAS STEERED BY RUDDER CTL OFF THE END OF THE RWY WITH A GRASS AREA ABOUT 15' OFF THE END OF THE RWY. THE ENGS WERE STOPPED. WE VERIFIED NO FIRE AND DEPLANED ALL PAX FOR LATER FLTS TO PHL. LATER THAN MORNING IT WAS FOUND BY MAINT THAT NITROGEN PRESSURE HAD LEAKED INTO THE RESERVOIR CONTENTS, AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO SEE THIS BY LOOKING AT OUR HYD PANEL. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A 5000' RWY. WE HAD AN OPTION FOR A 7000' RWY, HOWEVER WITH PREVAILING WINDS AT 060 DEGS AT 7 KTS, WE ELECTED TO GO WITH THE 5000' RWY 36 AS OPPOSED TO THE 7000' RWY 13 OR 31. IT WAS CONCLUDED BY MECHS THAT DAY IT WAS A SYSTEMS FAILURE THAT WAS OUT OF OUR HANDS; HOWEVER, WE FELT WITH CORRECT TEMP OF 15 DEGS F AND THE WINDS, A RWY 36 WAS OK FOR TKOF. THOUGHT IT WAS FELT BY THE PIC AND ME THAT IF THE LONGER RWY WAS USED, THIS SITUATION OF RUNNING OFF INTO THE GRASS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: DECISION TO USE THE SHORTER RWY NOT QUESTIONED BY FAA OR COMPANY. WAS VERY COLD, BUT THE RWY CONDITIONS WERE DRY--NO PATCHES OF ICE OR SNOW. MAINT SUSPECTS A SEAL LET GO ACCOUNT THE COLD WX, CAUSING THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYS. SPD LEAVING THE RWY ESTIMATED 15-20 MPH. CAPT ABLE TO STEER CLR OF RWY END LIGHTS. AFTER MAINT, THE ACFT WAS TAXIED TO THE GATE, GND SURFACE BEING HARD AND FROZEN.

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.