Accident Overview
A training flight conducted by a certified flight instructor (CFI) and a student pilot ended when the airplane veered off a taxiway and collided with trees after landing. The aircraft had been serviced a week prior to the accident by adding brake fluid, but no logbook entry was made. Post-accident functional tests revealed the brakes could not stop the airplane.
Flight Sequence
The preflight inspection noted a low nose wheel tire, which was corrected. The flight departed and completed air work north of the airport before returning for landings. The student pilot made a normal landing to runway 24. The CFI felt the student apply brakes and instructed the student to maintain directional control using only rudder. The student complied, taxied to the end of runway 24, and turned left onto the taxiway. Another airplane was on the parallel taxiway. The CFI instructed the student to stop after clearing the runway. The airplane continued farther than the CFI desired, and the CFI told the student to apply brakes. The CFI also applied brakes, but the airplane did not stop. The emergency brake was applied without effect. The CFI pulled the mixture to cutoff and attempted to stop on the lip of the taxiway edge. The airplane went down an embankment and collided with trees.
Post-Accident Examination
The registered owner and operator informed the FAA that the brake system had been serviced a week before the accident by adding brake fluid. No logbook entry for this service was found. FAA inspectors performed a functional test: with the parking brake engaged, the airplane could be pushed and continued to move when brakes were applied from either front seat. Visual inspection of brake pads and rotors showed no anomalies. The master cylinder had brake fluid leaking onto its exterior, evidenced by dried hydraulic fluid staining. The carpet near the pilot's rudder pedals was saturated with brake fluid, with indications of recently spilled reddish fluid and older brownish stains.