What happened
The pilot originally intended to fly to a nearby field for fertilizer application but decided to return to an airstrip located behind his home due to local thunderstorm activity. While approaching runway 15, the pilot touched down and applied both brakes to decelerate. During this process, the right brake suddenly failed, leaving the pilot unable to stop the aircraft using only the left brake.
With approximately 800 feet of runway remaining, the pilot elected to abort the landing and attempted a takeoff. During the subsequent takeoff roll, the Piper 235 cleared a fence and passed under power lines. As the pilot maneuvered to avoid colliding with his home, the aircraft struck trees approximately 500 feet from the runway. The impact caused the airplane to roll inverted and fall to the ground, where it burst into flames. There were no fatalities reported.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage showed that the airframe had sustained extensive damage from fire. The fire was reported to have destroyed the right wheel brake assembly; consequently, a functional examination of that component could not be performed. Performance data for the Piper 235 indicates that at a landing and stall speed of 46 mph, a landing roll at gross weight typically requires approximately 850 feet of runway.