Incident Summary
During taxi for takeoff, the pilot experienced a left brake that grabbed. After reaching the end of the runway, the left brake continued to grab, prompting the pilot to return to the maintenance company where the airplane had been picked up. While taxiing back, the brakes failed entirely, and the pilot relied on the emergency brake to control the aircraft.
As the airplane neared the ramp, the pilot detected the smell of smoke and shut down the engine. One tire then blew out, and as the pilot exited the airplane, the other tire also blew out. Both main landing gear tires were observed to be on fire. Personnel from the maintenance company extinguished the fire.
Mechanic's Observations
After the incident, a mechanic examined the airplane and noted that the parking brake was pulled out approximately three-quarters of the way. Upon disassembly of the brakes, the mechanic found no discrepancies that would have caused the brakes to drag.