Doylestown, PA, USA
N57JK
PIPER PA-31P
Following a normal landing, the pilot felt no wheel braking action on the left wheel, and the brake pedal went to the floor. The pilot attempted to maintain directional control; however, the airplane departed the right side of the runway and traveled into the grass. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop, sustaining structural damage to the left wing spar. Postaccident examination confirmed that the left brake was inoperative and revealed a small hydraulic fluid leak at the shaft of the parking brake valve in the pressurized section of the cabin. Air likely entered the brake line at the area of the leak while the cabin was pressurized, rendering the left brake inoperative.
On September 08, 2013, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31P airplane, N57JK, was substantially damaged following a runway excursion during landing at Doylestown, Pennsylvania (DYL). The commercial pilot was not injured. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The pilot reported that, following a normal landing on runway 5, the left brake pedal went to the floor and there was no braking action on the left side. He tried pumping the brakes to regain left braking action, but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the right side of the runway, into the grass. The landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to a stop. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and inspected the airplane. He confirmed substantial damage to the left wing spar. The left brake was not operational when he inspected the airplane. Further examination of the wheel brake system revealed a leak at the shaft for the parking brake valve. He reported that this condition allowed air to enter the brake system in between the master cylinder and wheel cylinder when the aircraft was pressurized.
A leaking parking brake valve, which allowed air to enter the left brake line and resulted in the eventual failure of the left wheel brake during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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