Narrative:

I rented a C172 along with my instructor. I am in the process of getting a chkout in the aircraft and a biannual. I conducted a preflight and pulled the aircraft out for starting. We noticed that the parking brake was not functioning in the aircraft, but decided that we would continue our flight and write it up after we returned to the hangar. We started the engine, listened to ATIS, and contacted ground control. They instructed us to taxi to the run-up pad located at the north end of the aircraft adjacent to runway. During the run-up it was necessary for us to hold the brakes because the parking brake did not function. After the run-up, I contacted the tower and notified them that we were ready for takeoff. The tower instructed us to 'taxi into position and hold.' I acknowledged the instruction and proceeded to taxi into position. My instructor stated that he was off the brakes. As we taxied onto runway, I turned to the right to check for landing aircraft that the tower might not know about. My instructor mentioned that there was an aircraft about 3 mi out on final. I tried to steer the aircraft to the left but nothing happened. I pressed firmly on both brakes and pulled back the throttle. The aircraft veered to the right. I mentioned to my instructor that I had lost the left brake. He applied pressure onto both brakes from the right seat and only the right brake functioned. We both continued to press the brakes until the aircraft came to rest at the approach end of runway. As the aircraft went off the runway, I notified the tower that we had lost our left brake and were having difficulty steering the aircraft. The aircraft was positioned over a red runway light. The runway light was broken off at the base. After securing the aircraft, I requested a tug to pull us back to the hangar. We exited the aircraft and checked the propeller and aircraft fuselage for other damage. Due to the heavy traffic, we grabbed the tow bar out of the baggage compartment, pushed the aircraft back onto the runway and then down the taxiway to clear the runway. The tug arrived and towed us back to the hangar. At the hangar, we looked at the propeller again. One tip hs a very light scratch across the white paint. The scratch did not penetrate the paint. The other tip had a 3/16-inch nick on the face of the blade and 2 inches of the blade tip was bent aft about 1/4 inch. While removing my belongings from the aircraft, I looked at the left brake pedal and noticed that the pedal had rotated to a horizontal position with the top of the pedal toward the bulkhead. The next day, the owner of the aircraft contacted me. My instructor and I met with him. He stated that he found 8 ft of black skid mark going off the runway and that the right tire had flat spot. He added that the mechanic had checked the aircraft and found nothing wrong with the brakes. In addition, he added that they normally disconnect the parking brake to save tires. However, I don't recall seeing a placard in the aircraft for the parking brake. I am concerned that they had not inspected the left brake thoroughly. The next time the left brake fails, it may result in a very serious injury.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT AND INSTRUCTOR WENT OFF THE RWY AND HIT A RWY LIGHT AFTER THE L BRAKE FAILED AT A TWR CTLED ARPT.

Narrative: I RENTED A C172 ALONG WITH MY INSTRUCTOR. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A CHKOUT IN THE ACFT AND A BIANNUAL. I CONDUCTED A PREFLT AND PULLED THE ACFT OUT FOR STARTING. WE NOTICED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT FUNCTIONING IN THE ACFT, BUT DECIDED THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE OUR FLT AND WRITE IT UP AFTER WE RETURNED TO THE HANGAR. WE STARTED THE ENG, LISTENED TO ATIS, AND CONTACTED GND CTL. THEY INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO THE RUN-UP PAD LOCATED AT THE N END OF THE ACFT ADJACENT TO RWY. DURING THE RUN-UP IT WAS NECESSARY FOR US TO HOLD THE BRAKES BECAUSE THE PARKING BRAKE DID NOT FUNCTION. AFTER THE RUN-UP, I CONTACTED THE TWR AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTION AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI INTO POS. MY INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE WAS OFF THE BRAKES. AS WE TAXIED ONTO RWY, I TURNED TO THE R TO CHK FOR LNDG ACFT THAT THE TWR MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT. MY INSTRUCTOR MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ABOUT 3 MI OUT ON FINAL. I TRIED TO STEER THE ACFT TO THE L BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. I PRESSED FIRMLY ON BOTH BRAKES AND PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE. THE ACFT VEERED TO THE R. I MENTIONED TO MY INSTRUCTOR THAT I HAD LOST THE L BRAKE. HE APPLIED PRESSURE ONTO BOTH BRAKES FROM THE R SEAT AND ONLY THE R BRAKE FUNCTIONED. WE BOTH CONTINUED TO PRESS THE BRAKES UNTIL THE ACFT CAME TO REST AT THE APCH END OF RWY. AS THE ACFT WENT OFF THE RWY, I NOTIFIED THE TWR THAT WE HAD LOST OUR L BRAKE AND WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY STEERING THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS POSITIONED OVER A RED RWY LIGHT. THE RWY LIGHT WAS BROKEN OFF AT THE BASE. AFTER SECURING THE ACFT, I REQUESTED A TUG TO PULL US BACK TO THE HANGAR. WE EXITED THE ACFT AND CHKED THE PROP AND ACFT FUSELAGE FOR OTHER DAMAGE. DUE TO THE HVY TFC, WE GRABBED THE TOW BAR OUT OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, PUSHED THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE RWY AND THEN DOWN THE TXWY TO CLR THE RWY. THE TUG ARRIVED AND TOWED US BACK TO THE HANGAR. AT THE HANGAR, WE LOOKED AT THE PROP AGAIN. ONE TIP HS A VERY LIGHT SCRATCH ACROSS THE WHITE PAINT. THE SCRATCH DID NOT PENETRATE THE PAINT. THE OTHER TIP HAD A 3/16-INCH NICK ON THE FACE OF THE BLADE AND 2 INCHES OF THE BLADE TIP WAS BENT AFT ABOUT 1/4 INCH. WHILE REMOVING MY BELONGINGS FROM THE ACFT, I LOOKED AT THE L BRAKE PEDAL AND NOTICED THAT THE PEDAL HAD ROTATED TO A HORIZ POS WITH THE TOP OF THE PEDAL TOWARD THE BULKHEAD. THE NEXT DAY, THE OWNER OF THE ACFT CONTACTED ME. MY INSTRUCTOR AND I MET WITH HIM. HE STATED THAT HE FOUND 8 FT OF BLACK SKID MARK GOING OFF THE RWY AND THAT THE R TIRE HAD FLAT SPOT. HE ADDED THAT THE MECH HAD CHKED THE ACFT AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. IN ADDITION, HE ADDED THAT THEY NORMALLY DISCONNECT THE PARKING BRAKE TO SAVE TIRES. HOWEVER, I DON'T RECALL SEEING A PLACARD IN THE ACFT FOR THE PARKING BRAKE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THEY HAD NOT INSPECTED THE L BRAKE THOROUGHLY. THE NEXT TIME THE L BRAKE FAILS, IT MAY RESULT IN A VERY SERIOUS INJURY.

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.