Incident Description
While taxiing the airplane, the pilot communicated to the tower controller that he was unable to find the brakes. Consequently, the airplane did not turn right as intended toward the runway. Instead, it continued straight, departing the end of the taxiway. The aircraft then traversed a 60-foot embankment and ultimately collided with rocks at the bottom of a drainage ditch.
Examination Findings
Following the incident, a post-accident examination of the airplane was conducted. The inspection revealed that the right main landing gear had been bent upward underneath the fuselage. However, no visible damage was noted on the braking system components. The left main landing gear brake was tested and operated normally. The brake pedal assembly was observed to be 'rather small' in size. Additionally, the brake pedals were configured to be operated by the pilot's heels, rather than the more standard design of toe brakes.