Left brake failed on taxi after landing.

Attributes
ACN	265630
Time
Date	199403
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cps
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 364 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	265630
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was returning from an IFR training flight to st. Louis downtown-parks (cps), with my instructor. I was on the ILS approach to runway 30L when the tower directed me to circle right to runway 12L. The winds were 180 degrees at 15 KTS. I made a normal landing on runway 12L and taxied to the end of the runway at its intersection with taxiway M. As I approached that intersection, I applied my brakes to slow the aircraft before I turned right onto taxiway M. When I applied my brakes, the right brake caught, but the left brake did not. The aircraft immediately and sharply turned to the right. The nose gear dropped off the edge runway and the propeller came in contact with the runway and ground. When I exited the aircraft, I observed that the nose gear had sunk several inches into the soft ground alongside the runway and struck the concrete where runway 12L intersects with taxiway M. The nose gear sheared off below the strut, causing the propeller to strike the edge of the runway and ground. The brakes were tested by owner of FBO with witnesses present. The left brake did not work. It is believed that the o-ring failed. I believe this accident was a result of a mechanical failure to the left brake and the location where the nose gear dropped off the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L BRAKE FAILED ON TAXI AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM AN IFR TRAINING FLT TO ST. LOUIS DOWNTOWN-PARKS (CPS), WITH MY INSTRUCTOR. I WAS ON THE ILS APCH TO RWY 30L WHEN THE TWR DIRECTED ME TO CIRCLE R TO RWY 12L. THE WINDS WERE 180 DEGS AT 15 KTS. I MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 12L AND TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RWY AT ITS INTXN WITH TXWY M. AS I APCHED THAT INTXN, I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO SLOW THE ACFT BEFORE I TURNED R ONTO TXWY M. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES, THE R BRAKE CAUGHT, BUT THE L BRAKE DID NOT. THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY AND SHARPLY TURNED TO THE R. THE NOSE GEAR DROPPED OFF THE EDGE RWY AND THE PROP CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE RWY AND GND. WHEN I EXITED THE ACFT, I OBSERVED THAT THE NOSE GEAR HAD SUNK SEVERAL INCHES INTO THE SOFT GND ALONGSIDE THE RWY AND STRUCK THE CONCRETE WHERE RWY 12L INTERSECTS WITH TXWY M. THE NOSE GEAR SHEARED OFF BELOW THE STRUT, CAUSING THE PROP TO STRIKE THE EDGE OF THE RWY AND GND. THE BRAKES WERE TESTED BY OWNER OF FBO WITH WITNESSES PRESENT. THE L BRAKE DID NOT WORK. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE O-RING FAILED. I BELIEVE THIS ACCIDENT WAS A RESULT OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE TO THE L BRAKE AND THE LOCATION WHERE THE NOSE GEAR DROPPED OFF THE RWY.

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.