Narrative:

I had flown the small aircraft X twice, for a total of 2.6 hours. My instrument had pointed out that the toe brakes in the small aircraft X must be depressed while setting the parking brake. I boarded the small aircraft X with a different CFI in the right seat. He told me that he had no brake pedals north his side. Following the mfr's engine start checklist, I pulled out the parking brake knob. I did not depress the toe brakes while doing so. I depressed the toe brakes while starting the engine. I looked down at my checklist for the next item. The instrument said 'we're moving.' I looked up, saw that we were moving, and increased pressure on the toe brakes. When this had no effect, I pressed on the rudders and brakes simultaneously, then pressed fully on the toe brakes again. I reached for the emergency brake on the right side, then remembered that the knob on the right side was the cowl flap lever, and reached for the emergency brake knob on the left side. When I realized that this knob was already pulled out, I believe I pushed it in again and then pulled it out. At no time did my ft leave the brake pedals. While this was happening, the CFI said 'put the brakes on' and I said 'I am.' he then used his rudder pedals to steer the small aircraft X towards our right, into an small aircraft Y parked facing us in the adjacent row, avoiding the twin engine airplane parked next to the small aircraft Y on our left. Just before impact, the CFI pulled off the mixture and turned off the master switch. I tried (unsuccessfully) to pull the key from the ignition. The small aircraft X propeller struck the right wing of the small aircraft Y and destroyed a portion of the fuel tank before coming to a stop. The CFI said 'get out of the plane.' he opened the right side door and exited. I removed my headset and seat belt and left immediately. This was to be the small aircraft X's first flight since having both of its main tires replaced. A mechanic reported immediately after the incident that the right master cylinder was out. Tests the following day, using the same method of setting the parking brake, showed that sometimes only the left brake worked, and sometimes both brakes worked. I believe that at the time of the incident, both brakes failed. The manager stated that the toe brakes were designed to operate correctly regardless of the method used to set the parking brake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA HIT ANOTHER PARKED SMA DURING ENGINE START.

Narrative: I HAD FLOWN THE SMA X TWICE, FOR A TOTAL OF 2.6 HRS. MY INSTR HAD POINTED OUT THAT THE TOE BRAKES IN THE SMA X MUST BE DEPRESSED WHILE SETTING THE PARKING BRAKE. I BOARDED THE SMA X WITH A DIFFERENT CFI IN THE R SEAT. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD NO BRAKE PEDALS N HIS SIDE. FOLLOWING THE MFR'S ENG START CHKLIST, I PULLED OUT THE PARKING BRAKE KNOB. I DID NOT DEPRESS THE TOE BRAKES WHILE DOING SO. I DEPRESSED THE TOE BRAKES WHILE STARTING THE ENG. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY CHKLIST FOR THE NEXT ITEM. THE INSTR SAID 'WE'RE MOVING.' I LOOKED UP, SAW THAT WE WERE MOVING, AND INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE TOE BRAKES. WHEN THIS HAD NO EFFECT, I PRESSED ON THE RUDDERS AND BRAKES SIMULTANEOUSLY, THEN PRESSED FULLY ON THE TOE BRAKES AGAIN. I REACHED FOR THE EMER BRAKE ON THE R SIDE, THEN REMEMBERED THAT THE KNOB ON THE R SIDE WAS THE COWL FLAP LEVER, AND REACHED FOR THE EMER BRAKE KNOB ON THE L SIDE. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THIS KNOB WAS ALREADY PULLED OUT, I BELIEVE I PUSHED IT IN AGAIN AND THEN PULLED IT OUT. AT NO TIME DID MY FT LEAVE THE BRAKE PEDALS. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING, THE CFI SAID 'PUT THE BRAKES ON' AND I SAID 'I AM.' HE THEN USED HIS RUDDER PEDALS TO STEER THE SMA X TOWARDS OUR R, INTO AN SMA Y PARKED FACING US IN THE ADJACENT ROW, AVOIDING THE TWIN ENG AIRPLANE PARKED NEXT TO THE SMA Y ON OUR L. JUST BEFORE IMPACT, THE CFI PULLED OFF THE MIXTURE AND TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH. I TRIED (UNSUCCESSFULLY) TO PULL THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE SMA X PROP STRUCK THE R WING OF THE SMA Y AND DESTROYED A PORTION OF THE FUEL TANK BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE CFI SAID 'GET OUT OF THE PLANE.' HE OPENED THE R SIDE DOOR AND EXITED. I REMOVED MY HEADSET AND SEAT BELT AND LEFT IMMEDIATELY. THIS WAS TO BE THE SMA X'S FIRST FLT SINCE HAVING BOTH OF ITS MAIN TIRES REPLACED. A MECH RPTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT THAT THE R MASTER CYLINDER WAS OUT. TESTS THE FOLLOWING DAY, USING THE SAME METHOD OF SETTING THE PARKING BRAKE, SHOWED THAT SOMETIMES ONLY THE L BRAKE WORKED, AND SOMETIMES BOTH BRAKES WORKED. I BELIEVE THAT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, BOTH BRAKES FAILED. THE MGR STATED THAT THE TOE BRAKES WERE DESIGNED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY REGARDLESS OF THE METHOD USED TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE.

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.