C152 Brakes

J

jesse

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Oct 2, 2005
Messages
16,012
Location
...
Display Name
Display name:
Jesse
I had a right brake fail today on a C152 while taxing - the pedal completely went flat.

A very early in training student was taxing at the moment and it became obvious he was suddenly having some sort of control issue. I came on the controls to discover they were jammed full right rudder. Not a big deal - just meant we were going to be doing a circle for awhile.

Since the rudder depressed more then normal it caught underneath some type of lip on the right side of the floor. Wish I had a picture. It took some messing around before I was able to get it to unjam and decided taking flight was a poor idea so called it a day. Going around in a circle on the ramp gets old.

Something to watch out for. A brake going out on you is one thing - having the damn thing cause your rudder to jam full deflection is a whole additional set of concern. Seems like a serious design or installation flaw. Anyone encounter this?

(They seemed to have failed while we were taxing because there was no braking or control issue initially)

Makes me wonder if this could have been a contributing factor with some of them they had spin into the ground. Not sure they ever truly determined what the problem was other then issuing that tail AD.
 
Last edited:
jesse said:
I had a right brake fail today on a C152 while taxing - the pedal completely went flat.

A very early in training student was taxing at the moment and it became obvious he was suddenly having some sort of control issue. I came on the controls to discover they were jammed full right rudder. Not a big deal - just meant we were going to be doing a circle for awhile.

Since the rudder depressed more then normal it caught underneath some type of lip on the right side of the floor. Wish I had a picture. It took some messing around before I was able to get it to unjam and decided taking flight was a poor idea so called it a day. Going around in a circle on the ramp gets old.

Something to watch out for. A brake going out on you is one thing - having the damn thing cause your rudder to jam full deflection is a whole additional set of concern. Seems like a serious design or installation flaw. Anyone encounter this?

(They seemed to have failed while we were taxing because there was no braking or control issue initially)

Makes me wonder if this could have been a contributing factor with some of them they had spin into the ground. Not sure they ever truly determined what the problem was other then issuing that tail AD.
Click to expand...

Yes that stupid plastic kick panel comes loose and binds the rudder peddle.

several plastic replacement parts manufacturers have a better idea.
 
:eek:

That would seem to me to be a pretty serious safety issue. It is rare to use full deflection in the air, but what if you where teaching spins, or slips? :eek:

If we now have to report EFIS failures would not a control failure in a certified airplane be reportable? :confused:
 
Tom-D said:
Yes that stupid plastic kick panel comes loose and binds the rudder peddle.

several plastic replacement parts manufacturers have a better idea.
Click to expand...

That sounds expensive. I vote for some tin snips and cut the plastic back so it has no chance of hitting the rudder/brake pedals.
 
Yikes, did not know about the plastic issue. Would slamming the opposite rudder pedal break the plastic if it were to stick in flight - or in a spin?

I fly a 152 that has the tail AD and I spin it when flying solo... this worries me.
 
Geico266 said:
If we now have to report EFIS failures would not a control failure in a certified airplane be reportable? :confused:
Click to expand...

Ummm, aren't control failures on the list of things (like in-flight fires and crew illness) that are supposed to be reported?
 
There's another factor that might be involved here. The nose steering rods are spring bungees and have a wear problem. Inside them is a compression spring with a washer above it that is stopped by a circular crimp in the case tube. The rod pulls on the washer against the spring. The washer eventually wears itself against the crimp when it returns and can slide past the crimp and cock behind it, holding the rudder system deflected to one side. Banging the pedals around can unlock it, maybe, but the danger is there for it to happen again, maybe in flight.

See this:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/certification/continuing-advisory-2007-04-424.htm

Nevertheless, the fact that the pedal went flat at the same time the rudder system locked over, I would suspect that there's some associating factor between the two faults. The rudder bar covers should be taken off and a good look had to see whats up under there. That's an area often neglected. It's something of a pain to take apart and put together at annual time.

Dan
 
Dan Thomas said:
There's another factor that might be involved here. The nose steering rods are spring bungees and have a wear problem. Inside them is a compression spring with a washer above it that is stopped by a circular crimp in the case tube. The rod pulls on the washer against the spring. The washer eventually wears itself against the crimp when it returns and can slide past the crimp and cock behind it, holding the rudder system deflected to one side. Banging the pedals around can unlock it, maybe, but the danger is there for it to happen again, maybe in flight.

See this:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/certification/continuing-advisory-2007-04-424.htm

Nevertheless, the fact that the pedal went flat at the same time the rudder system locked over, I would suspect that there's some associating factor between the two faults. The rudder bar covers should be taken off and a good look had to see whats up under there. That's an area often neglected. It's something of a pain to take apart and put together at annual time.

Dan
Click to expand...

Great link with photos, Dan. Thanks. I now know more about the 172 I often fly than I did before!
 
Read the US AD 2009-10-09 R2

the same discrepancy prompted the AD to improve the rudder stops on the C-150
 
Apperantly it was the rudder pedal jamming behind a lip of carpet. So something isn't right about the interior...The carpet is too thick or sticks out in a way it shouldn't.
 
jesse said:
Apperantly it was the rudder pedal jamming behind a lip of carpet. So something isn't right about the interior...The carpet is too thick or sticks out in a way it shouldn't.
Click to expand...
Let's hope some one doesn't drive a couple screws thru the carpet into the floor.
 
jesse said:
Apperantly it was the rudder pedal jamming behind a lip of carpet. So something isn't right about the interior...The carpet is too thick or sticks out in a way it shouldn't.
Click to expand...

That will be the side kick panels, or that little bit of carpet over the central tunnel just aft of the firewall. It won't be the floor carpet.

Dan
 
I did some training in a raggedy C152. On final I found that I didn't full rudder authority, but enough to land safely. I touched down and the instructor called for a touch-and-go departure. I said "no, full stop" and taxied clear. My right foot had gotten wrapped around a piece of shredded carpet. I told him I'd be bringing a pair of scissors on my next lesson.
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.
Back
Top