An small aircraft pilot ran off the side of the runway.

Attributes
ACN	229706
Time
Date	199212
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fty
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 73 flight time type : 73
ASRS Report	229706
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Before arriving at pdk airport, I spoke with mr X, the owner of the plane. He said he will be at the airport to put brake fluid in the plane because someone had noticed a problem with the brakes. When I arrived, X had just finished putting brake fluid in the plane. I did my preflight and everything was fine. Before taxiing, I checked the brakes and they were fine. I took off at pdk to fty to do some touch-and-goes. My first touch-and-go was fine, but the second one I noticed the plane was pulling to the left. On my third touchdown, I landed on the centerline, but the plane pulled to the left. I pushed in the right rudder to pull the plane back but I saw that I was going off the runway and feared that the plane may FLIP if I push in the right rudder too fast. I pulled out the throttle and applied brakes slowly. I hit a runway sign which caused the right wheel to go flat and the sign also hit the rear of the plane causing some damage. My belief is that the left brake locked up strong enough that I could not correct with right rudder. Maybe I could have applied full left brake and, given time and space, spin the plane around in the grass. Possibly, I could have applied full right brake and stayed on the runway but that would have exploded the mains.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY.

Narrative: BEFORE ARRIVING AT PDK ARPT, I SPOKE WITH MR X, THE OWNER OF THE PLANE. HE SAID HE WILL BE AT THE ARPT TO PUT BRAKE FLUID IN THE PLANE BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD NOTICED A PROB WITH THE BRAKES. WHEN I ARRIVED, X HAD JUST FINISHED PUTTING BRAKE FLUID IN THE PLANE. I DID MY PREFLT AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. BEFORE TAXIING, I CHKED THE BRAKES AND THEY WERE FINE. I TOOK OFF AT PDK TO FTY TO DO SOME TOUCH-AND-GOES. MY FIRST TOUCH-AND-GO WAS FINE, BUT THE SECOND ONE I NOTICED THE PLANE WAS PULLING TO THE L. ON MY THIRD TOUCHDOWN, I LANDED ON THE CTRLINE, BUT THE PLANE PULLED TO THE L. I PUSHED IN THE R RUDDER TO PULL THE PLANE BACK BUT I SAW THAT I WAS GOING OFF THE RWY AND FEARED THAT THE PLANE MAY FLIP IF I PUSH IN THE R RUDDER TOO FAST. I PULLED OUT THE THROTTLE AND APPLIED BRAKES SLOWLY. I HIT A RWY SIGN WHICH CAUSED THE R WHEEL TO GO FLAT AND THE SIGN ALSO HIT THE REAR OF THE PLANE CAUSING SOME DAMAGE. MY BELIEF IS THAT THE L BRAKE LOCKED UP STRONG ENOUGH THAT I COULD NOT CORRECT WITH R RUDDER. MAYBE I COULD HAVE APPLIED FULL L BRAKE AND, GIVEN TIME AND SPACE, SPIN THE PLANE AROUND IN THE GRASS. POSSIBLY, I COULD HAVE APPLIED FULL R BRAKE AND STAYED ON THE RWY BUT THAT WOULD HAVE EXPLODED THE MAINS.

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.