ERA16LA122

The private pilot completed a prerental checkout in the airplane and then departed for a local flight. Upon return to the airport, the pilot landed the airplane beyond the midpoint of the 2,722-ft-long runway, and the airplane then veered off the right side of the runway and impacted a fence. The pilot reported no anomalies with the brakes to the operator during his prerental checkout in the airplane. However, after the accident, he reported that one of the brakes felt "spongy" during the landing attempt. Postaccident examination of the brakes revealed no evidence of any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

On March 1, 2016, about 1130 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N94569, was substantially damaged during a runway excursion after landing at the Chester Airport (SNC), Chester, Connecticut. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane landed on runway 35, a dry, 2,722-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. After landing, the airplane continued off the right side on the runway, through a fence, and came to rest in the grassy area. According to witnesses, the airplane touched down about 200 feet beyond the midpoint of the runway. In a written statement the pilot stated that during rollout the right brake felt "ok", but the left brake felt "spongy", and that the airplane failed to stop before it departed the right side of the runway. According to a flight instructor for the operator, he and the pilot flew together for approximately two hours on both the day before and the day of the accident to complete a pre-rental checkout for the pilot in the accident airplane. At no time did the pilot mention anomalies or malfunctions of the airplane's braking system. Postaccident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector and an airframe and powerplant mechanic revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall. Functional testing of the brakes showed that they were operational and did not reveal evidence any pre- or post-impact mechanical anomalies. A detailed examination of the brake revealed that there were no signs of hydraulic fluid or damage to the brake lines, and the brake pucks were nominal in size with no abnormal wear. The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-235 series, 108-horsepower engine. The airplane had been operated for about 100 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed on September 1, 2015. The pilot reported 1,300 hours of total flight experience, of which 75 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.