Pilot of small aircraft experienced asymmetrical braking on roll out after landing, excursioned off ...

Narrative:

Upon landing and attempting to turn off runway 23 at midfield (left turn) I found the left brake to be not properly acting. Left rudder got rudder/nose wheel but poor or no brake. The right side worked ok, so braking attempts caused a series of turns to the right! I continued to the south end of runway 23 at low speed and attempted to apply brake on left side. When I got to the south taxiway I positioned the aircraft on the runway right side to allow a long radius left turn. At the appropriate time I gave it full left pedal (still little or no brake action) and coasted into the turn. At about 45 degrees of arc, it was obvious that I would coast off the south side of the taxiway and contact a metal sign with the propeller. To avoid this I turned right and went down a slight embankment, missing the sign but contacting the top of an electrical power box (associated with the runway end identifier lights) with the underside of the right wing approximately 2' outboard of the right main gear centerline. I continued on the soft ground and with power and rudder made the left turn and taxied back to the taxiway and went north on the n-s taxiway to the FBO. Examination of the aircraft showed paint scrape but no structural damage. The safety problem is the sign placement too close to the taxiway. If it were farther back, I could have recovered within a few ft of the taxiway and not hazarded myself, passenger and the aircraft unnecessarily. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: had the sign not been there it would have been a simple matter to continue my left turn back onto the taxiway. The sign has an arrow pointing to the FBO area, gas and parking area. It is a very substantial sign and would do a lot of damage to a light aircraft if the aircraft hit it. The sign is about 70' off the taxiway and I suppose no one ever expected an aircraft to be taxied on the grass that far from the taxiway but it became a very real hazard to me when I could not turn sharp enough to stay on the taxiway. I think safety would be enhanced if the sign was moved back another 30-40'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA EXPERIENCED ASYMMETRICAL BRAKING ON ROLL OUT AFTER LNDG, EXCURSIONED OFF RWY AND TXWY, RECOVERED CONTROL, TAXIED BACK ONTO TXWY AND ON TO PARKING AREA.

Narrative: UPON LNDG AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN OFF RWY 23 AT MIDFIELD (LEFT TURN) I FOUND THE LEFT BRAKE TO BE NOT PROPERLY ACTING. LEFT RUDDER GOT RUDDER/NOSE WHEEL BUT POOR OR NO BRAKE. THE RIGHT SIDE WORKED OK, SO BRAKING ATTEMPTS CAUSED A SERIES OF TURNS TO THE RIGHT! I CONTINUED TO THE S END OF RWY 23 AT LOW SPD AND ATTEMPTED TO APPLY BRAKE ON LEFT SIDE. WHEN I GOT TO THE S TXWY I POSITIONED THE ACFT ON THE RWY RIGHT SIDE TO ALLOW A LONG RADIUS LEFT TURN. AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME I GAVE IT FULL LEFT PEDAL (STILL LITTLE OR NO BRAKE ACTION) AND COASTED INTO THE TURN. AT ABOUT 45 DEGS OF ARC, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I WOULD COAST OFF THE S SIDE OF THE TXWY AND CONTACT A METAL SIGN WITH THE PROP. TO AVOID THIS I TURNED RIGHT AND WENT DOWN A SLIGHT EMBANKMENT, MISSING THE SIGN BUT CONTACTING THE TOP OF AN ELECTRICAL PWR BOX (ASSOCIATED WITH THE RWY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS) WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT WING APPROX 2' OUTBOARD OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR CENTERLINE. I CONTINUED ON THE SOFT GND AND WITH PWR AND RUDDER MADE THE LEFT TURN AND TAXIED BACK TO THE TXWY AND WENT N ON THE N-S TXWY TO THE FBO. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT SHOWED PAINT SCRAPE BUT NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE SAFETY PROB IS THE SIGN PLACEMENT TOO CLOSE TO THE TXWY. IF IT WERE FARTHER BACK, I COULD HAVE RECOVERED WITHIN A FEW FT OF THE TXWY AND NOT HAZARDED MYSELF, PAX AND THE ACFT UNNECESSARILY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: HAD THE SIGN NOT BEEN THERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SIMPLE MATTER TO CONTINUE MY LEFT TURN BACK ONTO THE TXWY. THE SIGN HAS AN ARROW POINTING TO THE FBO AREA, GAS AND PARKING AREA. IT IS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL SIGN AND WOULD DO A LOT OF DAMAGE TO A LIGHT ACFT IF THE ACFT HIT IT. THE SIGN IS ABOUT 70' OFF THE TXWY AND I SUPPOSE NO ONE EVER EXPECTED AN ACFT TO BE TAXIED ON THE GRASS THAT FAR FROM THE TXWY BUT IT BECAME A VERY REAL HAZARD TO ME WHEN I COULD NOT TURN SHARP ENOUGH TO STAY ON THE TXWY. I THINK SAFETY WOULD BE ENHANCED IF THE SIGN WAS MOVED BACK ANOTHER 30-40'.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	106606
Time
Date	198902
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mwo
State Reference	OH
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 320
ASRS Report	106060
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Pilot of small aircraft experienced asymmetrical braking on roll out after landing, excursioned off runway and taxiway, recovered control, taxied back onto taxiway and on to parking area.