Narrative:

We were parked on overnight ramp in dca. This is located on taxiway alpha. We had received our clearance and had started our engines. As I began to taxi, I was perpendicular to the taxiway, so I attempted to begin my turn as I reached the middle of the taxiway, (alpha) as I attempted this left turn, I soon realized that I had no directional control. I attempted to stop using normal brakes, but to no avail. At this point the other pilot and I both reached for the emergency brake handle as he began to apply emergency brakes, but we were extremely close to an aircraft parked on the opposite side of the taxiway and were unable to stop before colliding with that aircraft. At the time of impact we were traveling at a very slow rate of speed, but fast enough to impart damage on the other aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 207390. Initial taxi from chocks conducted by PF while PNF had head down in cockpit copying taxi instructions from ground control and referring to airport diagram. The steering and brakes failed due to loss of hydraulic pressure and aircraft slowly rolled straight across the taxiway into a light twin engine recip. PF was unable to react quickly enough to engage emergency brakes as the distance traveled was so short. Loss of hydraulic pressure due to hydraulic pump not being placed to 'on' position which is called for in before engines start checklist which had not been completed prior to taxiing out of the parking position. Obvious message is that each checklist has an important time and place to be compeleted and it should not be omitted from its time and place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND INCIDENT.

Narrative: WE WERE PARKED ON OVERNIGHT RAMP IN DCA. THIS IS LOCATED ON TAXIWAY ALPHA. WE HAD RECEIVED OUR CLRNC AND HAD STARTED OUR ENGS. AS I BEGAN TO TAXI, I WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE TAXIWAY, SO I ATTEMPTED TO BEGIN MY TURN AS I REACHED THE MIDDLE OF THE TAXIWAY, (ALPHA) AS I ATTEMPTED THIS L TURN, I SOON REALIZED THAT I HAD NO DIRECTIONAL CTL. I ATTEMPTED TO STOP USING NORMAL BRAKES, BUT TO NO AVAIL. AT THIS POINT THE OTHER PLT AND I BOTH REACHED FOR THE EMER BRAKE HANDLE AS HE BEGAN TO APPLY EMER BRAKES, BUT WE WERE EXTREMELY CLOSE TO AN ACFT PARKED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY AND WERE UNABLE TO STOP BEFORE COLLIDING WITH THAT ACFT. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT WE WERE TRAVELING AT A VERY SLOW RATE OF SPD, BUT FAST ENOUGH TO IMPART DAMAGE ON THE OTHER ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 207390. INITIAL TAXI FROM CHOCKS CONDUCTED BY PF WHILE PNF HAD HEAD DOWN IN COCKPIT COPYING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL AND REFERRING TO ARPT DIAGRAM. THE STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED DUE TO LOSS OF HYD PRESSURE AND ACFT SLOWLY ROLLED STRAIGHT ACROSS THE TAXIWAY INTO A LIGHT TWIN ENG RECIP. PF WAS UNABLE TO REACT QUICKLY ENOUGH TO ENGAGE EMER BRAKES AS THE DISTANCE TRAVELED WAS SO SHORT. LOSS OF HYD PRESSURE DUE TO HYD PUMP NOT BEING PLACED TO 'ON' POS WHICH IS CALLED FOR IN BEFORE ENGS START CHKLIST WHICH HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED PRIOR TO TAXIING OUT OF THE PARKING POS. OBVIOUS MESSAGE IS THAT EACH CHKLIST HAS AN IMPORTANT TIME AND PLACE TO BE COMPELETED AND IT SHOULD NOT BE OMITTED FROM ITS TIME AND PLACE.

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.