Introduction
On an unspecified date, four aircraft performed a back-taxi south on runway 16/34 before departing to the north on runway 34. After reaching the south end, the first three aircraft turned into a run-up area, and the lead aircraft taxied into the takeoff position as the fourth aircraft arrived.
Sequence of Events
The fourth aircraft, a Piper PA-34 registered as N31856, approached the turnoff point. The pilot applied wheel brakes and discovered that the left brake was ineffective. The pilot released the right brake and attempted to avoid a collision using differential power and nosewheel steering, but the right wingtip of the Piper scraped the right wingtip of a Cessna 414 (N711RT), causing only minor damage to the Cessna.
After clearing the Cessna, the right wing of N31856 impacted the leading edge of the right wing of a Beechcraft 95-B55 (N25631). The Piper then spun around, and its propellers struck the trailing edge of the Beechcraft's right wing and right horizontal stabilizer. This resulted in substantial damage to both the Piper and the Beechcraft.
Investigation Findings
An investigation revealed that the brake fluid reservoir for the left brake of N31856 was empty. After the reservoir was serviced, the brake operated normally.