Narrative:

Everything appeared normal during preflight; taxi; and takeoff. Brakes worked normally during initial taxi brake check and throughout taxi. After a water landing; everything continued to appear normal during another preflight prior to water takeoff and return. On landing runway 35R; I applied the brakes after touching down approximately 700 ft down the runway. The left brake pedal went to the floor and had no pressure. At this point; I called 'no left brake check yours.' my back seat passenger pushed on his; with the same result. At this point I called tower and let them know we had no left brake and we would need a tug. We rolled out down the runway and I used the air rudder in order to maintain directional control. Throttle was at idle and I tapped the right brake in order to slow us down; maintaining the centerline with the rudder. At approximately taxi speed; the air rudder ceased to be effective. I tried adding a bit of power for a quick moment to make the air rudder effective; but this was not very effective and only added speed. At this point I decided that I may have to exit the runway in order to stop the aircraft; due to the fact that we did not have enough runway to stop the aircraft rolling; and exiting on the end of the runway would have involved striking a runway light. I tapped the right brake to further slow the aircraft down; approaching the edge of the runway. I picked a spot between 2 runway lights and as the aircraft slowed to a walking pace at the edge of the runway; I applied full right brake in order to use the grass and the brake to bring the aircraft to a stop. This resulted in a 180 degree turn at the edge of the runway; bringing the aircraft to a stop approximately 300 ft from the departure end of the runway. I do not believe there was any way of keeping the aircraft on the runway without damaging a runway light at the end or the aircraft itself. Also contributing was a light wind from the east which contributed to weathervaning to the right. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that neither the aircraft nor any airport ground equipment suffered any damage. Ground steering is accomplished using wheel brakes only.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CC-18-180 LEFT BRAKE FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED ON LNDG ROLLOUT; AND ACFT EXITED RWY. NO DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO ACFT OR RWY LIGHTING.

Narrative: EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL DURING PREFLT; TAXI; AND TKOF. BRAKES WORKED NORMALLY DURING INITIAL TAXI BRAKE CHK AND THROUGHOUT TAXI. AFTER A WATER LNDG; EVERYTHING CONTINUED TO APPEAR NORMAL DURING ANOTHER PREFLT PRIOR TO WATER TKOF AND RETURN. ON LNDG RWY 35R; I APPLIED THE BRAKES AFTER TOUCHING DOWN APPROX 700 FT DOWN THE RWY. THE L BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND HAD NO PRESSURE. AT THIS POINT; I CALLED 'NO L BRAKE CHK YOURS.' MY BACK SEAT PAX PUSHED ON HIS; WITH THE SAME RESULT. AT THIS POINT I CALLED TWR AND LET THEM KNOW WE HAD NO L BRAKE AND WE WOULD NEED A TUG. WE ROLLED OUT DOWN THE RWY AND I USED THE AIR RUDDER IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL. THROTTLE WAS AT IDLE AND I TAPPED THE R BRAKE IN ORDER TO SLOW US DOWN; MAINTAINING THE CTRLINE WITH THE RUDDER. AT APPROX TAXI SPD; THE AIR RUDDER CEASED TO BE EFFECTIVE. I TRIED ADDING A BIT OF PWR FOR A QUICK MOMENT TO MAKE THE AIR RUDDER EFFECTIVE; BUT THIS WAS NOT VERY EFFECTIVE AND ONLY ADDED SPD. AT THIS POINT I DECIDED THAT I MAY HAVE TO EXIT THE RWY IN ORDER TO STOP THE ACFT; DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH RWY TO STOP THE ACFT ROLLING; AND EXITING ON THE END OF THE RWY WOULD HAVE INVOLVED STRIKING A RWY LIGHT. I TAPPED THE R BRAKE TO FURTHER SLOW THE ACFT DOWN; APCHING THE EDGE OF THE RWY. I PICKED A SPOT BTWN 2 RWY LIGHTS AND AS THE ACFT SLOWED TO A WALKING PACE AT THE EDGE OF THE RWY; I APPLIED FULL R BRAKE IN ORDER TO USE THE GRASS AND THE BRAKE TO BRING THE ACFT TO A STOP. THIS RESULTED IN A 180 DEG TURN AT THE EDGE OF THE RWY; BRINGING THE ACFT TO A STOP APPROX 300 FT FROM THE DEP END OF THE RWY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY WAY OF KEEPING THE ACFT ON THE RWY WITHOUT DAMAGING A RWY LIGHT AT THE END OR THE ACFT ITSELF. ALSO CONTRIBUTING WAS A LIGHT WIND FROM THE E WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO WEATHERVANING TO THE R. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT NEITHER THE ACFT NOR ANY ARPT GND EQUIPMENT SUFFERED ANY DAMAGE. GND STEERING IS ACCOMPLISHED USING WHEEL BRAKES ONLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.