<< >> NASA ASRS Report 611769, March 2004

A PA34 pilot reports brake failure after annual inspection where brake seals were replaced. Brakes operated normally when released for service.

Attributes
ACN	611769
Time
Date	200403
Day	Sat
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-34-220T Turbo Seneca III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	maintenance : inspector other personnel
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : inspection authority technician : powerplant
ASRS Report	611769
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	maintenance : technician other personnel
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : testing
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft came in for annual inspection and brake caliper seals were leaking. I replaced the seals and bled the brakes per the maintenance manual, using the pressure pot method. After flight release the right alternator quit and the owner flew to his home base airport. While another mechanic was troubleshooting the alternator problem, he discovered the brakes not operating or operating correctly. It appears to me that there is 'air' in the system. Apparently, it got there through another component in the system. Perhaps master cylinder(south). The brake system was operated several times before release for flight. They operated normal at that time. The first flight from maintenance ZZZ to ZZZ1 was uneventful with exception of the alternator problem and an audio selector panel. However, the following day, the brakes failed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 PLT RPTS BRAKE FAILURE AFTER ANNUAL INSPECTION WHERE BRAKE SEALS WERE REPLACED. BRAKES OPERATED NORMALLY WHEN RELEASED FOR SVC.

Narrative: ACFT CAME IN FOR ANNUAL INSPECTION AND BRAKE CALIPER SEALS WERE LEAKING. I REPLACED THE SEALS AND BLED THE BRAKES PER THE MAINT MANUAL, USING THE PRESSURE POT METHOD. AFTER FLT RELEASE THE R ALTERNATOR QUIT AND THE OWNER FLEW TO HIS HOME BASE ARPT. WHILE ANOTHER MECH WAS TROUBLESHOOTING THE ALTERNATOR PROB, HE DISCOVERED THE BRAKES NOT OPERATING OR OPERATING CORRECTLY. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THERE IS 'AIR' IN THE SYS. APPARENTLY, IT GOT THERE THROUGH ANOTHER COMPONENT IN THE SYS. PERHAPS MASTER CYLINDER(S). THE BRAKE SYS WAS OPERATED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE RELEASE FOR FLT. THEY OPERATED NORMAL AT THAT TIME. THE FIRST FLT FROM MAINT ZZZ TO ZZZ1 WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH EXCEPTION OF THE ALTERNATOR PROB AND AN AUDIO SELECTOR PANEL. HOWEVER, THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE BRAKES FAILED.

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.