Runway excursion. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	219877
Time
Date	199208
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 157 flight time type : 142
ASRS Report	219877
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While landing at a short runway (1700 ft) the right brake did not fully engage when applied. When the brake was reapplied it did engage. This resulted in the aircraft skidding off the left side of the runway, as the plane was in loose gravel on the left side of the paved runway. The aircraft was an small aircraft with a castering front wheel. The loss of braking on the narrow strip and the skidding that resulted when full braking resumed made it difficult to keep on the strip. The brake problem would not have been a problem on a larger strip. The drop off and obstacles at the end of the runway prevented a go around if not initiated very early in the landing, this resulted in the brakes being locked up on loose gravel making steering difficult as the rear rudder lost effectiveness.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: WHILE LNDG AT A SHORT RWY (1700 FT) THE R BRAKE DID NOT FULLY ENGAGE WHEN APPLIED. WHEN THE BRAKE WAS REAPPLIED IT DID ENGAGE. THIS RESULTED IN THE ACFT SKIDDING OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY, AS THE PLANE WAS IN LOOSE GRAVEL ON THE L SIDE OF THE PAVED RWY. THE ACFT WAS AN SMA WITH A CASTERING FRONT WHEEL. THE LOSS OF BRAKING ON THE NARROW STRIP AND THE SKIDDING THAT RESULTED WHEN FULL BRAKING RESUMED MADE IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP ON THE STRIP. THE BRAKE PROBLEM WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM ON A LARGER STRIP. THE DROP OFF AND OBSTACLES AT THE END OF THE RWY PREVENTED A GAR IF NOT INITIATED VERY EARLY IN THE LNDG, THIS RESULTED IN THE BRAKES BEING LOCKED UP ON LOOSE GRAVEL MAKING STEERING DIFFICULT AS THE REAR RUDDER LOST EFFECTIVENESS.

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.