Narrative:

Around XY00 pm this date I had completed my familiarization chkride in a bay area aeronautical club with my cfii. After clearing the runway, I taxied to tie down the aircraft. Turning into the transition strip between the taxiway and the ramp, my RPM was about 800 and I had a strong direct crosswind from the left. This essentially made rudder control alone ineffective. I stepped on the left brake and nothing happened. I instinctively stepped on both brakes and the craft veered to the right heading toward a parked gasoline refueling truck. Simultaneously, I stepped hard on the right brake pedal, pulled the throttle all the way back, and announced to my instructor that I had a brake problem. Instantly, the aircraft responded to the right, missed the truck, ran off the transition strip into the grass, and, after turning approximately 120 degrees, the left wing struck a metal stanchion that the skydiving club had erected in preparation for a forthcoming fly-in. The stanchion raked the underside of the wing and penetrated the skin. We pulled the airplane back on the asphalt transition strip with a handbar. The instructor got back into the aircraft and, as I pulled the craft with the handbar, he tested the brakes twice. The left pedal, as I had experienced it, traveled all the way down to the firewall with no resistance on both tests. It is important to note that prior to my chkride, after starting the engine and leaving the tiedown spot, I revved the engine and tested the brakes and found them to be functional. After touchdown when turning left onto the taxiway, the left brake was functional at that time (the left brake had to be used since there was a strong wind from the left).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TFC, AN SMA, SUFFERED ACFT DAMAGE IN AN ENCOUNTER WITH A STANCHION DURING A TXWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: AROUND XY00 PM THIS DATE I HAD COMPLETED MY FAMILIARIZATION CHKRIDE IN A BAY AREA AERO CLUB WITH MY CFII. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, I TAXIED TO TIE DOWN THE ACFT. TURNING INTO THE TRANSITION STRIP BTWN THE TXWY AND THE RAMP, MY RPM WAS ABOUT 800 AND I HAD A STRONG DIRECT XWIND FROM THE L. THIS ESSENTIALLY MADE RUDDER CTL ALONE INEFFECTIVE. I STEPPED ON THE L BRAKE AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I INSTINCTIVELY STEPPED ON BOTH BRAKES AND THE CRAFT VEERED TO THE R HDG TOWARD A PARKED GASOLINE REFUELING TRUCK. SIMULTANEOUSLY, I STEPPED HARD ON THE R BRAKE PEDAL, PULLED THE THROTTLE ALL THE WAY BACK, AND ANNOUNCED TO MY INSTRUCTOR THAT I HAD A BRAKE PROB. INSTANTLY, THE ACFT RESPONDED TO THE R, MISSED THE TRUCK, RAN OFF THE TRANSITION STRIP INTO THE GRASS, AND, AFTER TURNING APPROX 120 DEGS, THE L WING STRUCK A METAL STANCHION THAT THE SKYDIVING CLUB HAD ERECTED IN PREPARATION FOR A FORTHCOMING FLY-IN. THE STANCHION RAKED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING AND PENETRATED THE SKIN. WE PULLED THE AIRPLANE BACK ON THE ASPHALT TRANSITION STRIP WITH A HANDBAR. THE INSTRUCTOR GOT BACK INTO THE ACFT AND, AS I PULLED THE CRAFT WITH THE HANDBAR, HE TESTED THE BRAKES TWICE. THE L PEDAL, AS I HAD EXPERIENCED IT, TRAVELED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FIREWALL WITH NO RESISTANCE ON BOTH TESTS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT PRIOR TO MY CHKRIDE, AFTER STARTING THE ENG AND LEAVING THE TIEDOWN SPOT, I REVVED THE ENG AND TESTED THE BRAKES AND FOUND THEM TO BE FUNCTIONAL. AFTER TOUCHDOWN WHEN TURNING L ONTO THE TXWY, THE L BRAKE WAS FUNCTIONAL AT THAT TIME (THE L BRAKE HAD TO BE USED SINCE THERE WAS A STRONG WIND FROM THE L).

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.