What happened
On 01 July 2016, a Jabiru J430, registration ZU-FBY, was conducting a private flight from Browns Landing Airfield to Trenney’s Airfield. Following a successful landing at the destination, the pilot began taxiing toward the end of the runway to perform a turnaround. As the aircraft approached the runway's edge, the pilot attempted to use the brakes to decelerate.
During this maneuver, the braking system failed completely. Because the runway featured a downward slope, the aircraft began to accelerate despite the pilot's efforts to reduce power. To prevent further uncontrolled movement, the pilot steered the aircraft off the paved surface and onto the grass area on the right side of Runway 19. The impact resulted in a broken nose strut and damage to the propeller. The pilot sustained no injuries.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID examined the mechanical state of the aircraft and the pilot's actions leading up to the event. Investigators found that the brake fluid within the cylinder had been entirely exhausted. Notably, there were no visible signs of fluid leakage prior to the failure. The inquiry also established that the pilot had not performed a thorough pre-flight inspection before departing from Browns Landing Airfield.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the exhaustion of brake fluid in the cylinder, which rendered the braking system non-functional.
- The lack of a proper pre-flight inspection contributed to the failure to identify the empty fluid reservoir before takeoff.