Narrative:

On a first evaluation flight with a potential INS student. Gave him a simulated clearance. He began takeoff roll with feet on the brakes and full power. As takeoff roll continued, brakes were still on, acceleration poor. I told pilot to release brakes, with no response. Pilot then reduced power and began a brake and rudder caused swerve to left, off side of runway. Use of right rudder on my part avoided runway lights. Aircraft stopped west/O hitting anything. I asked the pilot why he ran off runway. He said he thought it was necessary in order to abort takeoff. There were 500+' of unused pavement remaining. Pilot did not accept my theory that aircraft stops better on pavement than on gravel. (He had not responded to anything I said to him during the roll, either.) this particular brakes. This is the most frightening experience I've had in 500+ hours instructing--a pilot in a panic, unable or unwilling to accept direction, with the only set of brakes is, in fact, indomitably in control of the aircraft in this situation. A certain arrogance on my part may have played a role in this. He came to me complaining of mistreatment by previous cfii's not up to his standards. Instead of thinking that the problem was probably the student rather than the teachers. I decided to have a look. Looking back I can hear the attitude that he knew best in this pilot's description of past instructors. I can only wish I had concluded that he would be no more willing to listen to me than to them. As it was, no damage, no physical injuries, but badly wounded CFI self-assurance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI WITH INSTRUMENT STUDENT IN AN ACFT WITH ONLY LEFT SIDE BRAKES. STUDENT REMAINS ON BRAKES, THEN ABORTS WITH RESULTANT SWERVE OFF RWY.

Narrative: ON A FIRST EVALUATION FLT WITH A POTENTIAL INS STUDENT. GAVE HIM A SIMULATED CLRNC. HE BEGAN TKOF ROLL WITH FEET ON THE BRAKES AND FULL PWR. AS TKOF ROLL CONTINUED, BRAKES WERE STILL ON, ACCELERATION POOR. I TOLD PLT TO RELEASE BRAKES, WITH NO RESPONSE. PLT THEN REDUCED PWR AND BEGAN A BRAKE AND RUDDER CAUSED SWERVE TO LEFT, OFF SIDE OF RWY. USE OF RIGHT RUDDER ON MY PART AVOIDED RWY LIGHTS. ACFT STOPPED W/O HITTING ANYTHING. I ASKED THE PLT WHY HE RAN OFF RWY. HE SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO ABORT TKOF. THERE WERE 500+' OF UNUSED PAVEMENT REMAINING. PLT DID NOT ACCEPT MY THEORY THAT ACFT STOPS BETTER ON PAVEMENT THAN ON GRAVEL. (HE HAD NOT RESPONDED TO ANYTHING I SAID TO HIM DURING THE ROLL, EITHER.) THIS PARTICULAR BRAKES. THIS IS THE MOST FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD IN 500+ HRS INSTRUCTING--A PLT IN A PANIC, UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO ACCEPT DIRECTION, WITH THE ONLY SET OF BRAKES IS, IN FACT, INDOMITABLY IN CONTROL OF THE ACFT IN THIS SITUATION. A CERTAIN ARROGANCE ON MY PART MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS. HE CAME TO ME COMPLAINING OF MISTREATMENT BY PREVIOUS CFII'S NOT UP TO HIS STANDARDS. INSTEAD OF THINKING THAT THE PROB WAS PROBABLY THE STUDENT RATHER THAN THE TEACHERS. I DECIDED TO HAVE A LOOK. LOOKING BACK I CAN HEAR THE ATTITUDE THAT HE KNEW BEST IN THIS PLT'S DESCRIPTION OF PAST INSTRUCTORS. I CAN ONLY WISH I HAD CONCLUDED THAT HE WOULD BE NO MORE WILLING TO LISTEN TO ME THAN TO THEM. AS IT WAS, NO DAMAGE, NO PHYSICAL INJURIES, BUT BADLY WOUNDED CFI SELF-ASSURANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.