What happened
The pilot was attempting to land an airplane on a runway that featured a displaced threshold. During the landing roll, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of braking action. Despite efforts to stop, the pilot was unable to bring the airplane to a halt within the remaining length of the paved surface. The aircraft continued past the end of the runway and collided with three small trees located in the overrun area. This impact caused damage to the right wing of the aircraft.
The investigation
A post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed the mechanical cause of the braking failure. Investigators found that a leak had developed in a brake line fitting. This leak allowed the hydraulic system to become depleted of fluid, which rendered the brakes inoperative and prevented the pilot from slowing the aircraft effectively.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the accident was the depletion of the hydraulic system due to the leaking brake line fitting. This mechanical failure resulted in the loss of braking capability during a critical phase of flight. The presence of a displaced threshold on the runway reduced the available stopping distance, exacerbating the situation once the brakes failed.