Setting Parking Brake On Runway Before Take Off

[Freo]

Getting some conflicting thoughts from pilots about the use of the parking brake on the runway, just wanted to see how others do it...

You are cleared to line up and wait on an active runway for departure. You are expecting a slight delay of 1-3 minutes before cleared to take off.

Do you set the parking brake whilst waiting or just use the toe brakes in case the parking brake gets jammed in the on position thus blocking the runway?

Has anyone ever had a parking brake become stuck in the on position on the runway prior to take off?

Cheers

[TheChitterneFlyer]

In the last thirty-five years? NO!

[Green Cactus]

No, never had a parking brake get stuck, but I will never set the parking brake on the runway while waiting.

I guess it is a habit left from airplanes without a take-off config warning. That way the chance of trying to take-off with the parking brake set is/was reduced.

Never saw the need to change this habit.

GC

[Capt. Inop]

Has anyone ever had a parking brake become stuck in the on position on the runway prior to take off?

No never, haven't had prince Charles onboard either.

[Sunrig]

I would set the parking brake in the case of expecting some delay before commencing the take off roll. Have not yet experienced any stuck brakes on the runway.
Our company even recommends to set the brakes.

[SupaMach]

Nope, never set it.

[JammedStab]

We tended not to on the C-130 as it did once in a while become stuck. Seemed to be a known phenomenon. The the F/E had to go into the nose wheelwell and fix it. Saw it happen once on the ramp. All other big aircraft ops had it set on the runway.

[ImbracableCrunk]

Previous companies, sure. Current company, no: Forget to release the brake before the power comes up and bingo - Config Warn and an abort and a bunch of paperwork.

Yes, even if you were standing still. . . :ugh:

[toby320]

we have no restrictions and never hear about a problem using the parking brakes into the runway

toby320 :ok:

[calogero_vizzini]

Stupid if you do it.

Must admit to doing it years back when learning and hadn't fully disengaged park brake - take off felt a bit slower than normal. Could have caused problems in the wrong setting (i.e. a strip, a bigger plane, etc), so learnt that one the 'hard' way.

[Lord Spandex Masher]

Nope, don't do it.

If your little legs get tired hand it to him or her next door for a bit.

[wes_wall]

Back when I just started flying the DC8 my comnpany had a policy, and it continued through out my career on all aircraft I flew, not to ever use the parking brake when taking the active. I recall that Capitol International Airways lost a 63 series at ANC on take off. Probalble cause suspected parking brake was enable during takeoff.

[PA38-Pilot]

Set it always if we need to wait a few minutes. And just in case, I leave my hand over the parking brake handle as a reminder, and recheck if it is off before applying takeoff power.

[Sepp]

Once had to sit on a twy and wait for a Heavy crew to clear their brake problem on the active, and only available, runway. They couldn't. Fun and games ensued. Fortunately we could (just) make the turn for an intersection dep, and had the data for it. Park prake on the runway? No. Bloody stupid.

[MD83FO]

is there any regulation prohibiting its use on line up?

[Admiral346]

is there any regulation prohibiting its use on line up?

Yes, my company's OM.

Never done it.

Nic

[The Actuator]

The axiom "flexible is too rigid for aviation, one has to be fluid" comes to mind.

I am not convinced that declaring a practice as stupid has a place in a modern cockpit if there are circumstances which might require the use of said practice.

If you feel more comfortable setting the park brake while waiting for a minute or two, then by all means do it - just be aware of the consequences. Likewise if you prefer not to set it.
There really is no hard and fast reason that I can think of why one should be obliged to set or not.
Similarly I can think of a few arguments both in favour of and against both methods, none of which would be immune to counter arguments.

Personal choice - remain situationally aware.

[decurion]

I had a look in the historical data we have. I only found 4 cases out of +300,000 occurrences. Very remote condition I would say.

[Storminnorm]

After 40 odd years in engineering I've never heard of a
parking brake sticking in the "On" position.
I suppose it's possible, but extremely remote possibility.

[A37575]

The problem is at night where if you did not have your Size Tens firmly holding the brake pedals down you may not notice the aircraft is moving. Unless you have got red hot brakes while taxiing for take off then it surely is good airmanship to always set the parking brake when stopped anywhere?

[typhoid]

Hot steel brakes seizing - likely. Carbon brakes? No way.

There is no technical reason why a carbon brake aircraft should not use the PB on the runway. Modern park brakes are a switch ON/OFF with no intermediate - if you leave it on it should be obvious...

[grounded27]

This brings up a serious question to our modern day pilots. Just watching the Air Transat A330 glider into portugal.

Way to much emphasis is on checklists and less on common sense. despite a checklist, a good pilot should be scanning aircraft condition prior to all phases of flight, WORKLOAD excuse is only a scapegoat for neglence , hell the DMV would fail you if it was a common car. This is your profession, you are aviators, act like them...

[Slasher]

I never set the PB on the runway ever - Ive heard too many
reports of PBs not releaseing due stuck valves etc. It creates
a runway blockage, a tow truck call, and lots of paperwork.

[Capt Casper]

Freo, to answer your question, and not argue with anyone else's view on this matter - I never use the park brake from "off blocks" until completion of the flight.
If you roll to the runway without a problem, the brakes are off! The take off run is not the time to find out that they might not be.
I am aware of two accidents in Australia, one of them fatal and both total hull losses, due to take off when the park brakes were not fully released. On the non fatal one, a Metro, the brake was set on the runway prior to take off.

[Willit Run]

Having not done an actual count, it seems to be about split whether or not to set the PB. So, with that in mind; do as you wish if its not prohibited in your FCOM.
I do set them if its going to be a while. I just make sure the ship rolls easily before applying take off thrust.

[King on a Wing]

Hold short cat 2 rwy-set brakes.Hold short intersection-set brakes.Hold short single rwy in use-set brakes.So why would u NOT set brakes when u asked to hold for take off...???!! Daft...
Consider this...cat 2 conditions,night take off,enter line up clearance given but hold for take off,due seperation. You mean u're gonna trust ANYBODY to hold those brakes with his/her size tens for those critical minutes,with little/no visual reference..??? Not me...
Same when asked to hold for take off in heavy rain with poor vis,ESPECIALLY at night. You've GOT TO BE KIDDING!!
Next u'll prolly be asking pilots to stop using autobrakes cause mebbe they could malfunction and cause a runway blockage...

[rooaaiast]

Never set it myself as an extra thing to remember- try to keep it simple- but there have been at least two (electric) parking brake valves stuck on/ signalled "set" on the A330 to my knowledge.

[Piltdown Man]

The parking brake is a control like all others - it is there to be used when appropriate. I think waiting on a runway, taxiway or on the apron for a few minutes is a good reason. If it doesn't release, you don't go. And if you believe that your acceleration on the takeoff roll is slower than normal, you reject the take-off.

PM

[ABO944]

If I have to hold either on the runway or at the holding point for more than a couple of minutes, I stick the parking brake ON.

As Mr Piltdown said, it's a control just like the others. Anyway, on my aircraft type, we have a parking brake light shining in your eyeballs !

[ad-astra]

Unhooked has got in one.

We will see this thread develop into 5+ pages of shoulds and shouldn'ts.

At the end of 5+ pages high horses will be corralled and personal opinions and habits will be unchanged.

Its not that difficult.

[One Outsider]

on my aircraft type, we have a parking brake light shining in your eyeballs !

So do I. However, the light is activated by a switch that is activated by the parking brake handle only. And since the handle is attached to a cable that is attached to a control valve that is attached to a pressure reducer that is attached to a distribution valve, the light only tells me that the handle is pulled.

If I want to know if the parking brake is set or released I look at the brake pressure indicator. Not many people do that.

[aerobat77]

i do not understand the discussion...

why the hell not set the brake?

-when it will not fully release the same may also happen after initial release at the ramp and you would deal with the same problem.

-when the crew manages to mess up with forgetting to release at take off ... well, when its to hard to see the brake light, hear the config warning and feel that the aircraft is still on the brake than they are much more things to mess up at take off...

-the danger in concentrating on charts etc without parking brake and not realizing that the aircraft starts to move is much more given than a failure of the brake system of ignoring all aspects of point two i wrote.

i would say i real life you can do it for an easier life , the rest is pure theoretical what might happen...

[Alt Crz Green]

Set the PB when stopped, everytime, anywhere. 4 aircraft types later, I've yet to have a brake fail to release - and never heard of anyone else either who got stuck.
Stop the aircraft, set the brake and free yourself up to look at the bigger picture without worrying about moving inadvertantly.
The risk of a brake failing to release is so infintesimal that it's irrelevant compared to the potential threats arising from not having it set.

[Lord Spandex Masher]

[QUOTE=King on a Wing;6022758]...You mean u're gonna trust ANYBODY to hold those brakes with his/her size tens for those critical minutes,with little/no visual reference..??? [QUOTE]

So you'll happily taxi to, enter and possibly back track the runway and then blast off down that runway in those very same conditions at speeds approaching twice what your car will do but you wont trust me to keep a bit of pressure on the pedals at a standstill?!

Most strange.

[DownIn3Green]

Everyone here is missing the BIG POINT!!!...Why are you holding in position on the runway for several minutes at all???

Doesn't anyone remember America West (I believe) holding in position for minutes at LAX before it was smashed like a bug by a USAir 737-400 killing all on the metroliner and even more on the 737???

We all should learn from accidents, or at least we should...

Valujet...don't try to get a burning A/C back to the airport...EAL 66 at JFK, don't fly into windshears...etc...

I'm sure to the Metroliner pax and USAir customers it didn't matter if the metroliner had the parking brake set or not...

The lesson all of us Capt's should get from that one is don't "taxi into position and hold" and wait 2 or 3 minutes for clearance...

True the controllers screwed the pooch on that one, but the final link in the chain was lack of situational awareness by both flight crews...(ala the KLM and PAA guys in the Canary Islands)...more so on the KLM Captain...

As for the parking brake on the rwy, doesn't apply to my flts because I won't be holding "in position" that long...

Rather taxi off and wait until the controllers have the "big photo"...

And this is not a "slam" at ATC...I was one for 10 yrs before moving laterally to the cockpit...

[duelinput]

in 2000 icao issued a recommendation not to set the parking brake while waiting on a rwy.
last year an a320 holding short of the rwy could not release its parking brake. me and 4 other aircraft were blocked for 1 hour so it happens... in fact everything can happen with airbus aircraft :yuk:

[varigflier]

I've had the parking brake get stuck while on the runway on a a320. Not a pretty picture.

[Dream Land]

Down3greens, I think you need to spend a little more time reading some of the reports you mention.

Lining up is a standard procedure throughout the world, you may want to change professions if you don't have enough situational awareness when lining up.

In my part of the world we are sitting in position on a regular basis, I always set the brake, I don't play the "what if" game.

[L337]

I was taught not to set the park brake by my first instructor. I still don't 35 years later.

[Nightrider]

duelinput
in 2000 icao issued a recommendation not to set the parking brake while waiting on a rwy.

cannot find any link to this, do you have by chance a reference on where to find this?

[rudderrudderrat]

Hi,

My earliest aircraft never had the park brake set logic as part of the config. warning. Hence we only used the toe brakes when holding for a short while on the runway. I still do the same N years later.

I bet these blokes wish they had a TO config warning for park brake.
park brake on (http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/dft_avsafety_pdf_024592.pdf)

[Loose rivets]

No clear-cut answer . . . unless you're flying an Airbus.

A long taxi. Tail winds. (Even slight) Down hill taxiway and an aircraft that wants to accelerate like hell with the taps closed, all makes for very hot brakes.


Pressures on the pads with parking brake set? Typical in my days, of half system pressure. So, quite a lot of pad pressure.

It's always been good practice to release the brakes as soon as the chocks are in. The reason I seem to remember is chemical bonding of pad material into the discs. I wouldn't be too confident that even modern materials would be totally immune.

These patches give varying grip as the wheel rotates, causing an old fashioned anti-skid type of vibration. They are very difficult to remove, and what's worse, protect the steel from normal wear. This eventually causes slight variations in the thickness of the disc. No need to say why that's not a good idea, but if the aircraft is at a complete standstill, there's no difference at pad level, whichever method is used.

Creeping forward might be okay for freight, but I doubt passengers would appreciate it.

One thing I didn't see mentioned above more than once, was a check just before standing the levers up. I have always relied on muscle-memory in situations like this, and would simply touch the parking brake handle on my way to the levers. Little habits like this are worth their weight in gold.

[Dunbar]

What a daft thread.

I do/don't, repeat ad infinitum preferably in alternating posts :rolleyes:

[Double Hydco]

Yes I've had the park brake stuck on, luckily at the holding point, in an A300.

No amount of thrust, or resetting of the park brake would free it. In the end we had to get a ground engineer, traveling in the jumpseat, to climb down through the avionics bay and down the ladder where he then freed it at the u/c.

Make a point of not setting the PB on the runway now.

DH

[jetjockey737]

This is an example of confusion over technique and procedure.

Some guys i fly with get a bee in their bonnet over this one. Their 'technique' is to hold it with the toe brakes until getting take off clearance...if I set the PB I usually get told to release it. I do as requested, it really does not bother me, and get on with the flight. I then politely ask for a reference to the 'procedure' that they have picked me up on....this usually starts a conversation about technique vs procedure. Confusion between technique and procedure is a big CRM issue..that bothers me!!

For what its worth....I would set it....but thats my technique!!:p

JJ

[duelinput]

JJ

the day you will block the runway due to a stuck parking brake just explain to other aircraft it is your only technique and procedure. who cares if they have to divert? :yuk:

[DBate]

Company procedures has it that setting the parking brake while on the runway is allowed in all conditions but one; if the runway is contaminated with ice.

Reason: A couple of years ago a crew took off from an ice covered runway with the parking brake set. They did not realize this mistake during takeoff, as the acceleration appeared to be 'normal'. However, they found out when landing at the destination... Or so I was told.

[silverknapper]

Last company there wasn't an SOP for it, until someone set the park brake when lined up one day and the handle came away in his hand, with the brake set to on. Sop swiftly introduced.

[jetjockey737]

Duelinput...I never said my technique was right or that not setting it was wrong. I just tried to point out the obvious that we all make a decision based on what we see are the pro's and con's...on occasion I have no problem with setting the PB. I do appreciate your point though!!

galacticosh...I have no problem with releasing the PB if asked especially if it is done politely and the person in question isn't trying to convince me that it is a procedure. As I said, it doesn't really bother me....however, the majority of people who tell you to release it and try and turn it into a procedural matter are guaranteed to be trying to convince me at some stage that their other techniques are procedures!!! :=

[duelinput]

JJ
off course not setting the pb on the rwy is not a procedure (so far) but we may call it a Good Operating Practice because i know (we all know) the pb may fail to release at this critical position.
i thought experience was also learning from others technical troubles and mistake.
anyway as i told previously icao issued a recommendation not to set the pb on a rwy but sorry cannot give you the link to this

[Capt Claret]

Bloody hell, what a thread!

FWIW, I've not flown a multi-crew aircraft yet that doesn't include the park brake in the take-off config warning.

I've not had a park brake fail on in some 14,000 hours.

Remembering to release it doesn't seem too onerous a task. Certainly one that most professional pilots should be able to cope with.

I lined up & waited on the runway the other day, for 2 or 3 mins I'd say. I did it because the tower told me too. I set the park brake, and am please to say, that I lived to tell the tale.

On a side note, I have had an engine fail just after take off, perhaps based on what one can learn on this thread, I should avoid take-offs in future so that I don't have another. :p

[Checkboard]

Reason: A couple of years ago a crew took off from an ice covered runway with the parking brake set. They did not realise this mistake during takeoff, as the acceleration appeared to be 'normal'. However, they found out when landing at the destination... Or so I was told.

They found out when they failed to make enough speed to get airborne, after calling V1, and crashed off the end of the runway. :( 46 passengers (of 219) and one cabin crew member died.

It was a DC-8-63CF on November 27, 1970 on runway 06R at Anchorage, Alaska (Capitol International Airways supplying a charter for the US Military Air Lift Command). Power was set on the icy runway, acceleration was initially normal (with the low sliding co-efficient of friction).

After the initial acceleration the heat began to damage the tyres. The first scrap of reverted rubber was found 170 meters along the take off run, tyres were scrubbed to the chords by 820 meters, at 1300 meters all of the port tyres were blown out and all starboard tyres by 2650 meters. All wheels were found ground down to the hub in only one place.

This accident is the reason that "park brake" was added to the config warning list (it wasn't on the list when I started flying).

[sir fizzy]

on short runways and with experienced pilots who need to takeoff very quikly with a heavy jet takeoff power is set to full, then the pilot eleases brakes, gives a better acceleration, and boosts your rate of climb off the tarmac i do it on the pa-28 im training with. because it's fun. :} - not through nesesity

[x_feed]

parking brake is part of the hydraulic system..
so if the parking brake will stuck?!:sad:

automatically....there is a problem in a hydraulic system
[EG: 747-400 hydraulic system #4 or A320 yellow system]

so it is possible to happend but it is a very rare situation..

before the a/c released after it's maintenance check
[A,C and D checks] theres lot of checks will be perfomed BITE test, system check, OPC[operational checks] to ensure the a/c is airworthy and ready for flight...

if a hydraulic problem detected on the ground...automatically it will indicated at the EICAS/ECAM page..and the a/c will be grounded for safety....

either drop-down of pressure or faulty sensor indicator or other related problems occurred in hydraulic system...

as per AMM [aircraft maintenance manual]
here are the full info about parking brakes...


A320


PARKING/ULTIMATE EMERGENCY BRAKING - DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION
1 . General
**ON A/C 001-002,

(Ref. Fig. 001)
When you set the PARK BRK control switch to the ON position, this
deactivates the other modes and supplies the brakes with Yellow high
pressure. If Yellow high pressure is not available the brake Yellow pressure
accumulator supplies power limited at 145 bar (2103.0466 psi) to the brakes.
The accumulator has sufficient capacity to hold the brakes on for a minimum
time of twelve hours. The TO CONFIG warning light (on the ECAM control
panel) reminds the crew to release the parking brake when the engine is at
full throttle.

R **ON A/C 001-003, 101-199, 201-203, 251-299,
R Post SB 32-1201 For A/C 001-002,

When you set the PARK BRK control switch to the ON position, this
deactivates the other modes and supplies the brakes with Yellow high
pressure. If Yellow high pressure is not available the brake Yellow pressure
accumulator supplies power limited at 145 bar (2103.0466 psi) to the brakes.
If the parking brake pressure decreases to less than 35 bar (507.6319 psi)
when the PARK BRK is in ON position, the system reactivates the Normal
Braking mode automatically.
The accumulator has sufficient capacity to hold the brakes on for a minimum
time of twelve hours. The TO CONFIG warning light (on the ECAM control
panel) reminds the crew to release the parking brake when the engine is at
full throttle.



PARKING/ULTIMATE EMERGENCY BRAKING - DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION
1 . General
(Ref. Fig. 001)
The parking/ultimate emergency braking system is an electrohydraulic system.
Its primary function is to prevent movement of the aircraft when it is
parked. It can also be used in an emergency mode to stop the aircraft if
control in all the other braking modes

(Ref. 32-42-00), (Ref. 32-43-00) and (Ref. 32-44-00)

is not available. Use of the parking brake overrides all
other braking systems when the parking brake pressure is available.
The system gets its hydraulic power supply from the accumulator of the
Alternate Braking Without Anti Skid system (Ref. 32-44-00) or the Yellow
Main Hydraulic Power system (Ref. 29-13-00). The accumulator has sufficient
capacity to hold the brakes on for a minimum time of twelve hours.
When the selector switch PARK BRK in the cockpit is set to ON, it sends an
electrical supply to the electrohydraulic park brake control valve 102GG.
This valve controls the supply of hydraulic pressure to the MLG brake
pistons of the Alternate Braking with Anti Skid system (Ref. 32-43-00). The
hydraulic pressure available to the system (accumulator or Yellow system)
and the brake pressure supplied to the MLG is shown on a triple pressure
indicator (Ref. 32-44-00) in the cockpit.
If the Normal braking system is available and, if the pedals are depressed
when the PARK BRK is ON and the pressure commanded by the pedal deflection
exceeds the pressure delivered by the Park brake system, the Normal system
will send a complement of pressure to the Normal set of pistons to reach the
commanded value.


3 . System Description
The parking/ultimate emergency brake system has these components:
- the park brake control switch 73GG
- the park brake control valve 102GG
The selector switch is a four-pole, two position (OFF/ON) switch that sends
the power supplies to the two electrohydraulic control valves in the system.
The system has two independent electrical circuits each with a different
power supply (service bus and hot bus). Usually the circuits are energized
at the same time. Each circuit can operate the park brake control valve
102GG the other is not available.
The HP alternate brake manifold assembly 3016GM connects the hydraulic power
supply lines from the Yellow system and the accumulator (Ref. 32-44-00) to
the park brake control valve 102GG.
The HP alternate brake manifold assembly 3016GM includes a pressure relief
valve. If the pressure in the system increases to more than a specified
quantity (because of changes in temperature), the pressure relief valve
connects the supply to the return. A manual depressurization switch lets
maintenance personnel open the relief valve to release the accumulator
pressure (for system servicing).
The manifold has a check valve to prevent the flow of fluid from the
accumulator to the Yellow supply line when the Yellow line is not
pressurized. A pressure transducer 3068GN (Ref. 32-44-00) attached to the
manifold transmits the system pressure data to the triple pressure indicator
60GG (Ref. 32-44-00) and to the ABCU (Ref. 32-43-00).
The park brake selector valves is an electrohydraulic valve . The park brake
control valve has two electric motors that can open or close the valve. When
the valve is energized (open) it:
- reduces the pressure of the available hydraulic supply to 175 bar (2500
psi)
- sends this hydraulic supply to the alternate brake manifold assemblies
(Ref. 32-43-00) of the MLG
The park brake control valve also has an interface with the electrical
de-activation box 5GC of the Nose Wheel Steering (N/WS) system (Ref.
32-51-00). The de-activation box includes a light that lets maintenance
personnel see when the parking brake is set to ON.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

747-400


PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM - DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION
1 . General
A. A parking brake system is provided to permit setting the brakes during
parking and mooring. The system consists of a parking brake lever on the
control stand which operates an electrical switch and an electrical motor
operated parking brake module. The parking brake operates on the normal
brake system only and can be set only when hydrualic system 4 is
pressurized.
B. The parking brakes may be set by either the captain or the first officer.
A PARKING BRAKE SET indication will come into view on EICAS when the
parking brake is set. Setting the parking brake enables the erase
circuit in the voice recorder system, AMM 23-71-00/201.
C. AIRPLANES WITH A REMOTE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT;
A BRAKE ON light on the P37 Nose-Wheel-Well-Control panel (on the nose
gear above the steering collar) will also come on when the parking brake
is set.
D. Parking brake indication and brake pressure indication may be transfered
to the hot battery bus to remain operational when the airplane is being
towed.
E. The parking brake indication and brake pressure indication can also be
transferred to the ground handling bus so it operates when the airplane
is towed.
2 . Parking Brake Lever and Linkage (Fig. 1).
A. The parking brake lever is located on the left side of the flight deck
center console. It is connected to the parking brake linkage which
consists of shafts, levers, connecting rods, a tube assembly and pawls.
When one of the flight crew push the brake pedals to the stops and pull
the parking brake lever, the pawls in the linkage are rotated to engage a
shaft on the brake pedal bell crank. This holds the brakes in the
applied position.
3 . Parking Brake Indication (Fig. 2)
A. Parking brake indication is shown on the EICAS on the P2 panel. When the
parking brake lever is pulled, the movement of the linkage sets a micro
switch. This passes power from the PARK BRAKE circuit breaker on the P6
panel to the close fields of the electric motor on the parking brake
module. When the electric motor has cycled to the closed position, power
and ground are provided to turn on the Parking-Brake-Valve-Closed Relay.
When the relay switches it establishes a path from the electrical
interface units (EIUs) to ground, and this permits the PARKING BRAKE SET
indication to appear on EICAS.

B. AIRPLANES WITH A REMOTE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT;
When the relay switches, it also provides a ground through the S313
Parking Brake Lever Switch to turn on the BRAKE ON light (L1541) on the
P37 panel.
C. When the airplane is being towed, parking brake indication may be
provided from the hot battery bus. This is done by setting the STBY
power switch to off and the TOWING BAT PWR switch on the overhead panel
to BAT. 28 vdc power from the battery bus can then operate parking brake
indication. DC Battery bus power is also routed through a static towing
inverter to provide an AC signal to operate the brake pressure
transmitter at the brake accumulator. This allows the brake accumulator
pressure to be monitored on the HYD BRAKE PRESS gage on the flight deck.
D. When the airplane is being towed, parking brake indication can also be
supplied from the ground handling bus. This is done by setting the STBY
power switch to OFF and the TOWING POWER BACKUP switch on the overhead
panel to ENABLE. 28 vdc power from the ground handling bus can then
operate the parking brake indication.
E. When the parking brake is released the linkage moves to the off position
which permits the micro switch to return to off. This passes power form
the PARK BRAKE circuit breaker to the open fields of the electric motor
in the parking brake module. When the electric motor has cycled to off,
power and ground are moved from the Parking-Brake-Valve-Closed relay to
Parking-Brake-Valve-Open Relay. When the Parking-Brake-Valve-Open relay
is set, a ground signal to the EIUs suppresses a fault indication on the
EICAS screen. If the electric motor in the Parking Brake Module fails to
cycle to the open position both relays will be relaxed producing no
ground signal to the EIUs. This will cause a PARKING BRAKE VALVE
indication to come into view on EICAS.
F. If the electric motor on the parking brake module fails to open when the
parking brake linkage is released, pressure will build up in the return
lines of the antiskid valves causing an antiskid malfunction. For this
reason the parking brake valve status is monitored by the antiskid
circuits in the Brake Control Unit. When the Parking-Brake-Lever Switch
is in the off position and the Parking-Brake-VAlve-Open Relay remains
off, a ground is removed from the parking-brake-logic input in the brake
control unit. This causes an ANTISKID OFF indication to come into view
on EICAS.
4 . Parking Brake Module and Thermal-Pressure-Relief Valve (Fig. 3)
A. The parking brake module prevents the brake accumulator from discharging
through the normal antiskid valves when the parking brake is set. It is
installed on the keel beam in the right-body-gear-wheel well and is
connected to the hydraulic system return lines from the normal antiskid
modules.


B. The Parking Brake Module contains an electric motor actuated cartridge
valve and a check valve. The motor can set the valve to one of two
positions called POS 1 and POS 2. In POS 1 the IN-A port is blocked and
the IN-B port is connected to the OUT port. In POS 2 the IN-A port and
the IN-B port are connected to the OUT port. The check valve is
installed in the OUT port to prevent backflow from the hydraulic system
return line.
(1) The electric-motor-actuated-cartridge valve is a three-way, two
position valve operated by an 18 - 30 vdc motor. When the actuator
is in position 1, the pressure and return ports of the valve are
blocked. When the actuator is in position 2, the pressure and
return ports are connected together. When the valve is in transit,
all ports are blocked.
(2) The electric motor contains two fields and two limit switches. One
field turns the motor in a counterclockwise direction to position 1,
and the other field turns the motor in a clockwise direction to
position 2. When the parking brake is set, power is applied to the
position 1 field, and the motor cycles all the way to position 1.
At position 1 a limit switch disconnects the position 1 field from
parking brake set circuit and connects the position 2 field to the
parking brake off circuit. When the parking brake is released the
position 2 field is powered and the motor turns clockwise to
position 2 where the limit switch disconnects the position 2 field
from the parking brake off circuit and connects the position 1 field
back to the parking brake on circuit.
C. A Thermal-Pressure-Relief valve is installed adjacent to the Parking
Brake Module and connects the IN-A port to the IN-B port. This protects
the brake system from pressure buildup which is caused by expansion when
a cold soaked airplane begins to warm. The valve opens and releases
fluid into the return lines when pressure in the brake lines exceeds 3400
psi. When pressure drops below 3100 psi the valve closes.
5 . Operation (Fig. 4)
A. Functional Description
(1) The parking brakes operate off the normal braking system. The
pressure source is the hydraulic brake accumulator which is
pressurized by hydraulic system 4.
(2) When the control pedals are pushed into the stops and the parking
brake lever is pulled, the linkage moves two pawls toward the brake
pedal bellcrank. The pawls engage lockpins on the bell crank and
hold the brake linkage in the applied position. The parking brake
linkage will not set unless both brake pedals are pushed to the
applied position.
(3) When the parking brake lever is pulled and the linkage operates a
switch that provides 28 vdc power to the electric motor in the
parking brake modle. The motor cycles the module to the closed
position. This blocks the normal antiskid valve return lines to
prevent the accumulator from discharging through the antiskid
valves.


(4) The pressure on the HYD BRAKE PRESS gauge can decrease quickly after
you set the parking brake and remove the hydraulic power. This is
because the antiskid surge accumulators fill with hydraulic fluid.
This condition is satisfactory if the pressure does not decrease to
less than 1700 psig.
(5) AIRPLANES WITH "BRAKE ON" LIGHT ON P37 PANEL;
With the parking brake set and the parking brake valve (V23) closed,
the parking brake lever switch also powers the Parking Brake Closed
Relay (R7514) to allow a PARKING BRAKE SET indication on EICAS, and
the BRAKE ON light on the P37 panel to come on. The relay will also
permit the flight deck voice recorder to be erased.
(6) AIRPLANES WITHOUT "BRAKE ON" LIGHT ON P37 PANEL;
With the parking brake set and the parking brake valve (V23) closed,
the parking brake lever switch also powers the Parking Brake Closed
Relay (R7514) to allow a PARKING BRAKE SET indication on EICAS. The
relay will also permit the flight deck voice recorder to be erased.
(7) The parking brake lever returns to its original (off) position
automatically when both brake pedals are fully depressed and then
released. The return lever operates the parking brake lever switch
to the off position. This cycles the parking brake module to the
open position which permits the flow of hydraulic fluid through the
normal antiskid modules to hydraulic system 4 return lines. This
permits the antiskid system to function. Brake pressure is released
through the brake metering valves.
(8) The parking brake module cycles to the open position the
Parking-Brake-Valve-Open Relay is energized. This suppresses the
PARKING BRAKE VALVE and the ANTISKID OFF message on EICAS.
B. Control
(1) Set the parking brake.
(a) Make sure that hydraulic system No. 4 is pressurized
(AMM 29-11-00/201).
(b) Push both of the captain's or both of the first officer's brake
pedals to the stops.
(c) Pull the parking brake lever.
(d) Release the brake pedals.
(e) Keep hydraulic system No. 4 pressurized for 30 seconds minimum.
NOTE: It is necessary to keep hydraulic system No. 4
pressurized for 30 seconds minimum for satisfactory
parking brake system pressure. You can keep hydraulic
system No. 4 pressurized more than 30 seconds to get
more pressure.
(f) Remove hydraulic system No. 4 pressure if it is not necessary
(AMM 29-11-00/201).

(2) Release the parking brake.
(a) Push both of the captain's or both of the first officer's brake
pedals to the stops.
NOTE: This will cause the parking brake lever to return
to the off position automatically.
(b) Release the brake pedals.
(3) To get parking brake indication and brake pressure indication during
towing, set the STBY switch on the P5 overhead panel to OFF, and set
the TOWING BAT PWR switch on the P461 aft overhead panel to the BAT
position.
(4) You can also get the parking brake indication and brake pressure
indication during towing if you do the steps that follow to use the
ground handling bus:
(a) Put the STBY switch on the P5 overhead panel to OFF
(b) Put the TOWING POWER BACKUP switch on the overhead panel, P461,
to the ENABLE position.
������������������������������ž
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[Lord Spandex Masher]

on short runways and with experienced pilots who need to takeoff very quikly with a heavy jet takeoff power is set to full, then the pilot eleases brakes, gives a better acceleration, and boosts your rate of climb off the tarmac i do it on the pa-28 im training with. because it's fun. :} - not through nesesity


Define "Short runway"
I'm never in a rush to take off quickly
So inexperienced pilots don't need to do this on "short runways"?!
You will take off at the same speed but do you know why?
Only initially better acceleration but can you tell us why?
It does not boost your rate of climb, can you tell us why?
Finally this thread concerns use of the parking brake

[SOPS]

My God..what a thread about c:mad:ap, in the last 17000 hours I have flown, should I feel the need to put the parking brake on I have, other times I have used the toe brakes...come on people USE SOME COMMON SENSE...this is what we are being reduce to..especially as I see it in the UK (with the Hand S) people who cant make the smallest of descions by themselves.

I mean,,FFS if you cant decide if you are going to use a parking brake..what is going to happen when you are half way across the Atlantic with an engine fire...???!!!:ugh:

[dcsagcs]

Two cases confirmed at TAM Airlines ( Brazil ) on A320 fleet, both blocking main runways disrupting traffic flow until aicraft have been towed.:ugh:

[Teddy Robinson]

Do not set the parking brake on the runway ... It says nothing in the FCOM, it is a matter of airmanship and should not have to be specified.

[barrylewis131]

Hi

Just had an A320 sat on the active runway with parking brake stuck on. All CBs pulled, Hydraulics cut, Eventually engines off and complete down power. Poor captain was very cool but must have been having a fit! Powered back up, BSCU test failed..Hit brake pedals repeatedly and parking brake switch many times..Brakes released. Engine on and taxi back to stand to clear Hanoi's active runway..It CAN happen..We will see what the fix was tomorrow..Phew!

An Engineering perspective..

[TTex600]

From operating KingAir's on icy runways to small tire'd Lears, I learned to never set the park brake on the runway.

[galdian]

...and for those proponents who "never, ever, stupid, bad airmanship, never ever" etc etc park the brakes on the runway I assume - to be consistent within their thought process - that upon reaching the aerobridge after a flight they do NOT set the parkbrake until a ground engineer advises the "chocks are set"...after all the brake system COULD fail and release the brakes, at least with chocks in place then some of the mayhem may be reduced - if not totally prevented??

Quick quiz question:
IF any problem was going to occur on my aircraft I would prefer it to happen:
- (A) in the air
- (B) on the ground
NOTE: in the spirit of modern CRM there may be no correct answer to the quiz question - however I would hope to hell there would be a huge, overwhelming majority towards (B).

Capt Claret, post #53 pretty much covered my thoughts (especially like the subtle inferences regards professionalism that some will get, some will miss by 1,000 miles), finally can only agree with - and reiterate - his opening:

Bloody hell, what a thread!

Cheers
galdian