What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) A Cessna 172, N46567, was preflighted twice; once by CFI and then again with the student pilot (sp). Operations were normal during runup, taxi and takeoff. A/c departed for practice area and performed maneuvers without any incident. Upon returning to the airport, the aircraft landed and the sp applied heavy braking. The aircraft slowed to a taxi speed and then made a turn onto the "u" shaped turn-around taxiway. There was a Mooney in the middle of the turn-around and as the CE-172 approached the Mooney, the sp applied the brakes but the Cessna did not stop. The CFI applied his brakes with the same results. The CFI pulled the mixture, turned the master switch off and pulled the emergency/parking brake. Braking action was insufficient to stop the aircraft and the aircraft was directed, by the CFI, away from the Mooney. The aircraft left the taxiway and went down an embankment where the aircraft was stopped when it collided with numerous trees. When the FSDO personnel arrived the aircraft was already moved back alongside of the FBO facility. Braking action was tested without the engine running and there wasn't sufficient brake pressure to hold the aircraft in place when it pushed by hand. Further inspection revealed that the brake master cylinder assembly was leaking. Conclusion: improper owner system maintenance, where the system was serviced instead of replaced (leaking master cylinder). This led to the loss of hydraulic pressure after a successful landing was accomplished. There was insufficent hydraulic system pressure remaining in the system to stop the aircraft at taxiing speed. Therefore the flight instructor directed the aircraft away from the Mooney, on the same taxiway, to prevent a ground collision. The aircraft departed the taxiway, went down an embankment and came to rest once hitting a group of trees. Aircraft sustained substantial damage to the wings and possibly the wing structural cross member located in the ceiling of the rear cockpit area. The owner indicated that the brake system was recently serviced without any record of maintenance or preventive maintenance in the aircraft logs.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) A CESSNA 172, N46567, WAS PREFLIGHTED TWICE; ONCE BY CFI AND THEN AGAIN WITH THE STUDENT PILOT (SP). OPERATIONS WERE NORMAL DURING RUNUP, TAXI AND TAKEOFF. A/C DEPARTED FOR PRACTICE AREA AND PERFORMED MANEUVERS WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. UPON RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AND THE SP APPLIED HEAVY BRAKING. THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED TO A TAXI SPEED AND THEN MADE A TURN ONTO THE "U" SHAPED TURN-AROUND TAXIWAY. THERE WAS A MOONEY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURN-AROUND AND AS THE CE-172 APPROACHED THE MOONEY, THE SP APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE CESSNA DID NOT STOP. THE CFI APPLIED HIS BRAKES WITH THE SAME RESULTS. THE CFI PULLED THE MIXTURE, TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF AND PULLED THE EMERGENCY/PARKING BRAKE. BRAKING ACTION WAS INSUFFICIENT TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DIRECTED, BY THE CFI, AWAY FROM THE MOONEY. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE TAXIWAY AND WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS STOPPED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH NUMEROUS TREES. WHEN THE FSDO PERSONNEL ARRIVED THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALREADY MOVED BACK ALONGSIDE OF THE FBO FACILITY. BRAKING ACTION WAS TESTED WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THERE WASN'T SUFFICIENT BRAKE PRESSURE TO HOLD THE AIRCRAFT IN PLACE WHEN IT PUSHED BY HAND. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY WAS LEAKING. CONCLUSION: IMPROPER OWNER SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, WHERE THE SYSTEM WAS SERVICED INSTEAD OF REPLACED (LEAKING MASTER CYLINDER). THIS LED TO THE LOSS OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE AFTER A SUCCESSFUL LANDING WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THERE WAS INSUFFICENT HYDRAULIC SYSTEM PRESSURE REMAINING IN THE SYSTEM TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT AT TAXIING SPEED. THEREFORE THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DIRECTED THE AIRCRAFT AWAY FROM THE MOONEY, ON THE SAME TAXIWAY, TO PREVENT A GROUND COLLISION. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE TAXIWAY, WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO REST ONCE HITTING A GROUP OF TREES. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND POSSIBLY THE WING STRUCTURAL CROSS MEMBER LOCATED IN THE CEILING OF THE REAR COCKPIT AREA. THE OWNER INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS RECENTLY SERVICED WITHOUT ANY RECORD OF MAINTENANCE OR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE IN THE AIRCRAFT LOGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.