This October 2008 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Vans RV-8A, Vans RV-6A. Injuries: None. Location: Cambridge, Maryland. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: Following an uneventful flight and landing at the destination, the RV-6A was following the RV-8A to the parking area. The RV-8A parked first. The pilot of the RV-6A planned to park his airplane immediately to the right of the RV-8A. As the RV-6A pilot maneuvered to park he applied right brake to help turn the airplane. The brake failed and the right wing and propeller of the RV-6A struck the other airplane.
Examination of the o-ring between the main brake housing and the piston on the right wheel brake assembly revealed that the o-ring had deteriorated due to damage induced by excessive heat.
Probable cause: The failure of the RV-6A’s right brake assembly o-ring due to excessive heat.
For more information: NTSB.gov
This is the reason I don’t like airplanes without nosewheel steering; you’re constantly on the brakes to steer straight, potentially speeding up a failure, especially if you like to taxi fast, and if you do lose a brake you also lose your steering.
@Josh Davis – In an airplane without nosewheel steering, you HAVE to ride the brakes if you want to go straight or steer on the ground.
So was the excessive heat the result of overusing the brakes or something else.
As written we can’t learn anything from this story except maybe it was poor maintenance.
I seem to recall my CFI’s teaching not to ride the brakes to keep from burning them up. I think they taught that in driver’s ED too.