What happened
During the landing roll, the pilot experienced a complete failure of the left braking system. Despite applying continuous pressure to the brake pedals, the left brakes did not engage. As the aircraft approached the end of the runway, the pilot attempted to steer left toward a runup pad to avoid overrunning the pavement. At that critical moment, the right brake suddenly activated. The aircraft remained on the paved surface but ran off the end of the runway and descended down an embankment before nosing over.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed the mechanical cause of the failure. The left brake line had been worn completely through due to chafing against the fuselage structure. This physical damage prevented hydraulic pressure from reaching the left brake assembly, rendering it inoperative during the critical landing phase.
Findings
The primary contributing factor was the failure of the left brake line. The wear occurred because the line was chafing against the fuselage, a condition that likely developed over time without detection. This mechanical failure resulted in asymmetric braking capability during the landing roll, which compromised the pilot's ability to stop the aircraft within the available runway distance.