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Brake Failure/Before Landing Checklist

douglassmt

Well Known Member
When I completed transition training with Mike Seager over 10 years ago he taught a simple before-landing checklist that included testing brakes to make sure they will function on landing. For over 1500 hours and who knows how many landings, I've done it religiously, out of habit thanks to Mike. Tuesday night, coming in to land at my home airport after a week in Arizona, my right pedal was flat. No pressure. Since I knew it before landing it wasn't a factor...except that after landing I had to make a right turn off the runway. Fortunately the airport wasn't busy but it took me a few seconds to figure out that I would need to request three left turns to get off the runway to the right! Then it took me two tries to figure out how to arrest the left turn by applying full right rudder, releasing the left brake, and applying some power to keep from blowing past my exit. I recommend trying it some time in case you need it. It looked funny I'm sure, but it got me through two more right turns and back to the hangar.

Bottom line, thanks to Mike Seager's training, I was prepared for no brake on landing. It looks like a leak at the caliper but it could happen any number of different ways. So check those brakes before landing!!

PS. It was very kind of my plane to wait until my home airport to fail a brake.
 
OK----Sounds good. But how are you actually testing them? Just pushing on your pedals?? To see if it goes down??
 
Yes

Yes, just press the toe brakes with your feet once before landing, like in the downwind or on approach. You'll get to know what it feels like very quickly.
 
Gear down, Flaps full, Hook down, Harness locked, Brakes checked ...

Navy has been teaching this for decades. In the T-45 we also had lights that illuminated with pressure to confirm "no crosstalk" via the anti skid system. That was just being paranoid.

Press the pedals, they should feel right
 
Been there done that

Had to return from OSH in 2019 with no right brake. Line blew out while taxiing for departure out of OSH. Its worth practicing for if you have the space to do so. Not fun if you have long taxi or downhill landing.
 
Last summer was on short final into our strip, at night, in my Comanche. Short final brake check as normal and WHOA no brake pedal physically there, but felt it laying on floor with my toes. No big deal, the Comanche has a rather ingenious hand brake instead of pedals on right side. Used that to come to a stop. Found a cotter pin laying on the floor and I have no idea how it came out of the clevis pin holding the brake rod to the bottom of the pedal.
 
No Brake

A inop brake is best discovered before landing. If your plane is of the steer-by-brake variety it’s especially important. I’ve practiced and taught for years to check the brakes as part of the pre-landing check. You may want a different airport or runway thats longer, wider or has less/more crosswind.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
It is part of my prelanding checklist as well. "Brakes and Belts" is what I say. I've practiced a no brake landing using only the opposite brake. My no brake procedure goes something like this.

1. ID a no brake situation well before landing. (I check them again on final).
2. Land with minimal cross wind or go to another airport with winds straight
down the runway.
3. Full flaps
4. Do not use brakes at all if possible.
5. Gentle use of good brake as needed but apply generous amount of rudder in
same direction of bad brake
6. If it appears aircraft is going to depart the runway, Be prepared for mixture full lean.
(Hopeing to avoid any prop/engine damage).

In my practice I've discovered the best approach is to land and use some rudder in direction of the bad brake and tap the good brake just enough to keep the aircraft tracking straight. This technique works great!

EDITED: One additional note. If you have a no brake situation, hopefully your taxiway will be on good brake side. At that point you'll have a heck of a time steering. Probably wise to shut down and pull/tow it in.
 
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Had to return from OSH in 2019 with no right brake. Line blew out while taxiing for departure out of OSH. Its worth practicing for if you have the space to do so. Not fun if you have long taxi or downhill landing.

I pulled that stunt departing from Jackson Hole. Barely got to the nearby runup area and all I could do was taxi in circles. Had to be towed back to the shop. 😂

I now always keep a pair of brake cylinder seal kits onboard.
 
During GUMPS checks, I always press the brakes while saying "undercarriage".

Just as important, is doing the same before engine start. I pressed my brakes during Phase 1 testing (plane had about 30hr) and popped the brake puck on the right side (pedal went all the way down). I was not expecting that to happen. Turns out that the combination of driller brake rotor with dialing in engine idle speed/taxi causes me to wear the brake pad thin enough that the puck came out. :eek:

I was just about to do a hot start on a new to me airplane. I had been struggling with this. Glad the check caught this as it could have been a bad outcome next to the fuel pump structure.
 
I popped a puck out once to on my first set of pads when I let them wear down to the rivets. This happened after a flight when I shutdown at the hanger - lucky. Checking the brakes has not been in my prelanding check but it will after following this thread.
 
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