Claude, I had a very similar crisis several years back.
Upon landing at a runway, I saw that I could make the mid-field turn-off if I just pulled a bit harder on the brakes. After pulling harder, there was a clank sort of sound and I lost almost all of my brakes. There was a very slight amount of slowing from pulling the brake handle, but not much. I cranked the yoke all the way to the right (I have an Alon pedal kit) so the up-aileron could give some air braking and kept rolling down the runway. By the time we got to the end of the runway, we were still going about 30 mph. Knowing we could turn tightly with the wide landing gear, I started from the left edge of the runway and tried to make a 180 degree turn onto the run-up pad. This would avoid the fence at the end of the runway. I figured that, if I couldn't stay on the cement I'd be on the wide margin of weeds at least. The latter is what happened. We did the 180 but were going backwards along the side of the runway. The weeds were 3-4 feet high. There was a hidden drainage ditch in our path. Fortunately the ditch had been smoothed so we rolled into and on out of it with no damage, not even a prop strike. Lesson 1: If you lose brakes, try to get rid of the energy any way you can. On this runway, the runway lights were far enough back I could have put one wheel in the grass/weeds and maybe stopped before the end of the runway. Or I could have zig-zagged violently down the runway -- anything to waste energy. Lesson 2: We think that one or more of the little clips that hold the right disk in place was missing. The disk may have had asymmetrical pressure. It popped out of position entirely which made that brake fail. The master cylinder couldn't move enough fluid to pressurize the left brake so we had almost zero braking. Lesson X: When I wrote this up in Coupe Capers, there was some discussion that the clips needed to be put in a certain way that was different from the normal way to prevent this problem. Others said that no, that wasn't right, it had to be the traditional way. This was several years ago and I don't remember the details now. I still have my Goodyears because I can't afford the threshold cost of Clevelands. But I try not to over depend on my brakes. Claude Wheelbarger wrote: > > Hello all! > Just yesterday I returned home from a trip to Florida bringing back a > friend. He was forced to leave his 172 here while the hurricanes were > passing through and ride the bus to Florida (YUCK!). Anyway we decided to > refuel at Dillon SC. The wind had shifted and I landed a bit long but no big > deal. I applied the brakes and they were their usual Goodyear stiff but > worked. It was when the ag plane taxied out of the tall grass on the > opposite end that the classic "deer in the headlights" look crossed my face. > I applied more pressure to the master cylinder than ever before and instead > of smoking the tires or giving me more brake it seems the right side stopped > working and the left became marginal. This shoots me straight off the runway > like being broadsided between 2 parked 172's (looked intentional they said) > and then a cross between a spin out and ground loop leaving me nose first > about 3 feet from one of those Ag tanks they use to refill the spraying > planes. The Ag pilot runs over apologizing profusely then asking why I ran > off the runway when I had room to stop (he was at the very end). Told him I > did not know what had happened. The brakes went soft on the left and gone on > the right. He took one look and said "Da#ned goodyears, you should throw > them as far as you can" Anyway we spent an hour bleeding and flushing to no > avail. The right side looks good just wont grab. The left side disk has > chipped corners where the teeth or cogs extend on both the inside and > outside and it appears to be starting to chew up the cogged drum it rides > inside. oh yes it is now missing one clip and pin also. I looked in Skyport > and the almost one grand they ask to convert to Cleveland brakes is not too > pretty as an alternative and besides I had no problem with the ones I am > using up till now. For those of you with experience on the matter where > should I go from here? I have two other Ercoupes I can remove the brakes > from but they both fly (this one is my favorite) I am going to the Athens > fly in so if anybody has any ideas (or parts etc) come on down. (I could use > the advice/help) > > Thanks in advance! > Claude Wheelbarger > six-two-zero (W13) > Waynesboro, Va. -- Ed Burkhead Peoria, Ill. N3802H
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