A L39C ALBATROS WHILE TAXIING EXPERIENCED MAIN BRAKE SYS FAILURE. ACFT ROLLED INTO DITCH INCURRING SLIGHT DAMAGE TO NOSE AND LEFT WING TIP TANK.

Narrative

AFTER LNDG; CLRED TO HANGAR ON TXWY; BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. ACFT HEADED TOWARD DITCH. I SHUT DOWN ENG. UNABLE TO REACH THE EMER BRAKE DUE TO THE SHOULDER HARNESS. ACFT WENT INTO DITCH AT WALKING SPEED. SWITCHES SECURED. NO INJURY. DAMAGE TO NOSE CONE; L WING TIP TANK DAMAGED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS AIRPLANE IS BUILT IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA AS A JET FIGHTER TRAINER AND THE BRAKING SYS IS UNCONVENTIONAL. THE RPTR SAID THE MAIN BRAKE CTL IS OPERATED FROM THE COCKPIT CTL STICKS SIMILAR TO A MOTORCYCLE THROTTLE HANDLE. THE RPTR STATED SINCE THE AIRPLANE WAS A TRAINER THE AFT COCKPIT INSTRUCTOR'S POSITION HAD THE MAIN BRAKE CTL AND IF NOT OPERATED THEN CTL WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE FORWARD COCKPIT CTL STICK. THE RPTR SAID A PIN IN THE AFT COCKPIT CTL STICK BRAKE HANDLE FAILED AND DID NOT TRANSFER CTL TO THE FORWARD COCKPIT CTL STICK BRAKING HANDLE. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIING AT WALKING SPEED AND THE DAMAGE WAS MAINLY TO THE PAINT. THE RPTR STATED THE FAILED PIN WAS WELDED AND BRAKE OP WAS NORMAL BUT BELIEVES THIS PIN COULD BE TROUBLE. THE RPTR SAID THERE ARE APPROX 400 OF THESE ACFT IN NORTH AMERICA. ADDITIONAL INFO WAS OBTAINED FROM THE RPTR. RPTR SAID THAT THE BRAKE PROB THAT HE ENCOUNTERED HAD BEEN FIXED IN LATER MODEL ACFT. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN RELOCATED TO THE RUDDER PEDALS AS WITH MOST ACFT.