Narrative:

The flight proceeded normally from the departure airport to the destination airport up to the point the aircraft began to drift to the right during the landing rollout. The drift to the right began at approximately 70 KTS. I began to apply some left brake pressure and increased the amount of reverse on the left engine to bring the aircraft back toward the centerline of the runway. My actions only aggravated the situation. To keep the aircraft from prematurely exiting the runway, I engaged the nosewheel steering and brought the aircraft back to the runway centerline. While taxiing to the gate I decided to test the left main wheel brakes. With the nosewheel steering turned off, I applied pressure to the left brakes which resulted in a right turn. I tried the procedure again with the same results. I began to suspect that somehow the left and right brake system had been reversed. I then applied pressure to the right brakes which resulted in a left turn, confirming my suspicions. I had my first officer check his left and right brakes individually, he reported them to be operating normally. The company mechanics sent out to work on the aircraft orally verified that the brake lines had been attached to the opposite sides master cylinders on the captain's brake sets. Most likely this had happened when maintenance work on the brake system was performed 4 days earlier. I believe there is a design flaw on the small transport in which it is physically possible to attach the left and right brakes lines to the opposite sides master cylinders. I suggest there be an operational check of the entire brake system any time more than 1 brake line is disconnected. This check should include a verification that both left and right brakes be checked individually from both the captain's and first officer's sides.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ALMOST SWERVES OFF RWY BECAUSE WHEEL BRAKES ARE CONNECTED IN REVERSE.

Narrative: THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY FROM THE DEP ARPT TO THE DEST ARPT UP TO THE POINT THE ACFT BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE R DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT. THE DRIFT TO THE R BEGAN AT APPROX 70 KTS. I BEGAN TO APPLY SOME L BRAKE PRESSURE AND INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF REVERSE ON THE L ENG TO BRING THE ACFT BACK TOWARD THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY. MY ACTIONS ONLY AGGRAVATED THE SIT. TO KEEP THE ACFT FROM PREMATURELY EXITING THE RWY, I ENGAGED THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING AND BROUGHT THE ACFT BACK TO THE RWY CTRLINE. WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE I DECIDED TO TEST THE L MAIN WHEEL BRAKES. WITH THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING TURNED OFF, I APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE L BRAKES WHICH RESULTED IN A R TURN. I TRIED THE PROC AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESULTS. I BEGAN TO SUSPECT THAT SOMEHOW THE L AND R BRAKE SYS HAD BEEN REVERSED. I THEN APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE R BRAKES WHICH RESULTED IN A L TURN, CONFIRMING MY SUSPICIONS. I HAD MY FO CHK HIS L AND R BRAKES INDIVIDUALLY, HE RPTED THEM TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. THE COMPANY MECHS SENT OUT TO WORK ON THE ACFT ORALLY VERIFIED THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD BEEN ATTACHED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDES MASTER CYLINDERS ON THE CAPT'S BRAKE SETS. MOST LIKELY THIS HAD HAPPENED WHEN MAINT WORK ON THE BRAKE SYS WAS PERFORMED 4 DAYS EARLIER. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW ON THE SMT IN WHICH IT IS PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE TO ATTACH THE L AND R BRAKES LINES TO THE OPPOSITE SIDES MASTER CYLINDERS. I SUGGEST THERE BE AN OPERATIONAL CHK OF THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYS ANY TIME MORE THAN 1 BRAKE LINE IS DISCONNECTED. THIS CHK SHOULD INCLUDE A VERIFICATION THAT BOTH L AND R BRAKES BE CHKED INDIVIDUALLY FROM BOTH THE CAPT'S AND FO'S SIDES.

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.