On July 10, 1982, a Cessna 340 (registration N888N) operated by Triple G Dairy Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Sunriver, OR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Failure of the right brake master cylinder. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot landed fast in a crosswind, experienced right brake failure, and steered onto a grass median. The nose gear collapsed when the wheel contacted a taxiway lip.
Landing and Brake Issue
The pilot reported that during landing, he touched down 10 knots fast to compensate for a crosswind of 15 knots. During the landing roll, the right brake felt unresponsive. Rather than risk overrunning the runway, the pilot applied heavy left brake and directed the aircraft onto the grass median beside the runway.
Sequence of Events
While still moving, the aircraft entered a perpendicular taxiway that adjoined the end of the runway. At that point, the nose gear collapsed after the nose wheel struck the lip at the edge of the taxiway.
Investigation Findings
An investigation verified that the right brake master cylinder had failed. The density altitude at the time of the incident was approximately 5,500 feet.