AN ATR42-320 ON TAXI OUT LOST BRAKING AND WAS TOWED TO GATE FOR MAINT. ACFT WAS REPAIRED AND OPERATED BY THE SAME CREW. ON TRIP RETURN TO IAH THE ACFT LOST BRAKING AGAIN BLOWING #3 TIRE.

Narrative

MAINT HAD WORKED ON ACFT (ATR42-320) PRIOR TO DEP FOR A LOW R STRUT. WHILE IT WAS STILL LOW; THEY ASSURED CREW IT WAS FIXED. ON TAXI OUT; ACFT LISTED ABOUT 3-4 DEGS TO L. FEELING THIS WAS UNSAFE; I ELECTED TO RETURN TO RAMP. DURING MY TURNING MANEUVER; I LOST BRAKES AND WE SMELLED RUBBER 'SMOKE' IN COCKPIT; STOPPED ACFT AND SHUT DOWN ENGS. CFR RESPONDED. NO INJURIES; NO FIRE. MAINT TOWED ACFT TO HANGAR. THE STRUT PRIOR TO DEP WAS VERY LOW. THE ACFT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP FOR BAD STRUTS PREVIOUSLY. MAINT DID NOT USE PRESSURE GAUGE AND OVERPRESSURIZED R STRUT; CAUSING PROB. THIS ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC AND I FLEW IT AGAIN. DURING LNDG; THE BRAKES FAILED. I WAS PF AND SLOWED; AFTER NOTIFYING TWR; THROUGH REVERSE AND EMER BRAKES. I TAXIED CLR OF RWY 27 AND A BRAKE TEMP 'HOT' ILLUMINATED. CFR WAS DISPATCHED. #3 TIRE WAS BLOWN (POSSIBLE FUSE PLUGS). THIS WAS THE SAME ACFT WHICH LOST BRAKES AND HAD STRUT PROB EARLIER IN DAY. I WAS ASSIGNED TO FLY IT AGAIN; EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT COMPLETELY FIXED. STRUT ON R SIDE WAS BOTTOMED OUT AFTER LNDG WITH ACFT FULL OF PAX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED PRIOR TO DEP THE MAINT MGR AND THE CHIEF PLT WERE SUMMONED TO THE GATE TO OBSERVE THE ACFT AND ITS LIST TO THE L. THE RPTR SAID THE MAINT MGR ASSURED EVERYONE INVOLVED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS 'OK FOR SVC.' THE RPTR SAID AFTER HE TAXIED OUT; LOST BRAKING AND WERE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE IT WAS FOUND THE R STRUT WAS EXTENDED TO THE POINT THE GND/AIR SWITCHES WERE ACTIVATED. THE RPTR STATED WITH THE GND/AIR SWITCH ACTIVATED; THE BRAKES WERE DEACTIVATED. THE RPTR SAID WHEN THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC WITH ANOTHER SIGNOFF FOR THE STRUT SVCING IT STILL HAD THE SAME LIST AND HIGH STRUT. THE RPTR SAID THE CREW MADE 1 TRIP AND RETURNED TO IAH WHERE THE BRAKES AGAIN FAILED AND A TIRE WAS BLOWN. THE RPTR SAID THE ONLY RPT FROM MAINT ON THE FIX WAS THE R STRUT WAS AGAIN SVCED PER THE MAINT MANUAL.