Failure analysis of brake pads of aircrafts

Failed brake pads of a particular type of aircraft were analyzed. The friction material and the bonding between the back plate and the friction material were found satisfactory. No metallurgical abnormalities were found responsible for the failure. Analysis shows that the chipping off of the friction material occurred due to excessive load on the pad as a result of jamming of the brake. Measurements showed that the thickness of the pads was in the range 0.13 – 0.14 inch against the minimum specified value of 0.193 inch. Whether or not the use of worn out pads with less thickness was responsible for the jamming of the brake needs to be examined