Narrative:

It was a very cold morning (about 15 degrees F, if I recall correctly). I had completed my preflight inspection and had begun my taxi to the active runway. During the taxi, I noticed that the left brake only was not functioning at all when the toe brake was pressed. I notified ground control of my problem and returned to the ramp so I could taxi for a while in order to better understand what the problem was. During a series of turns I noticed that any attempt to turn to the left was impossible. Any attempt at a takeoff or a landing at this point would be very difficult, especially in a wind condition. I thought that there might be ice in the brake or wheel system so I parked back at the flight line and called one of the mechanics over. I told him that I had no left brake or steering and he began to work on the problem. He couldn't understand what was wrong so they (a lot of the mechanics) pulled the aircraft into the hangar and directed a high-pwred heater at the left main wheel. The chief mechanic guessed that there was ice in the control box that contained the brake fluid near the wheel. After about an hour, brakes were restored when the ice melted. He drained all of the fluid out of the entire system when I told him that I wasn't going to fly. Steering was not recovered by the time I left about 2 hours later. A glass of water about 8 ounces full was filled when the brakes were bled. I don't know if the problem was caused by design problems made worse by cold WX or by poor maintenance of the wheel bushings and brake system. The cause of the loss of steering, as far as I know, is unknown. I think the cold WX was the main contributing factor in this situation. The last I knew, brakes had been restored, but steering to the left was not possible. Both rudder pedals were indicating full deflection, but the nose gear refused to move. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states this was not a design problem as he felt at first. Mechanics who inspected aircraft after thawing ice from the brakes believe there was a hard landing prior to reporter's attempted flight. The nose strut was badly bent and consequently restr nosewheel steering. The brake problem, he feels, was delayed changing of bearings and lubrication in the brakes. Any condensation that forms will, of course, freeze, at 17 degrees, and did so. Very unusual condition and not design problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS NON FUNCTIONING L BRAKE DURING TAXI.

Narrative: IT WAS A VERY COLD MORNING (ABOUT 15 DEGS F, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY). I HAD COMPLETED MY PREFLT INSPECTION AND HAD BEGUN MY TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY. DURING THE TAXI, I NOTICED THAT THE L BRAKE ONLY WAS NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL WHEN THE TOE BRAKE WAS PRESSED. I NOTIFIED GND CTL OF MY PROB AND RETURNED TO THE RAMP SO I COULD TAXI FOR A WHILE IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROB WAS. DURING A SERIES OF TURNS I NOTICED THAT ANY ATTEMPT TO TURN TO THE L WAS IMPOSSIBLE. ANY ATTEMPT AT A TKOF OR A LNDG AT THIS POINT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IN A WIND CONDITION. I THOUGHT THAT THERE MIGHT BE ICE IN THE BRAKE OR WHEEL SYS SO I PARKED BACK AT THE FLT LINE AND CALLED ONE OF THE MECHS OVER. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD NO L BRAKE OR STEERING AND HE BEGAN TO WORK ON THE PROB. HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS WRONG SO THEY (A LOT OF THE MECHS) PULLED THE ACFT INTO THE HANGAR AND DIRECTED A HIGH-PWRED HEATER AT THE L MAIN WHEEL. THE CHIEF MECH GUESSED THAT THERE WAS ICE IN THE CTL BOX THAT CONTAINED THE BRAKE FLUID NEAR THE WHEEL. AFTER ABOUT AN HR, BRAKES WERE RESTORED WHEN THE ICE MELTED. HE DRAINED ALL OF THE FLUID OUT OF THE ENTIRE SYS WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I WASN'T GOING TO FLY. STEERING WAS NOT RECOVERED BY THE TIME I LEFT ABOUT 2 HRS LATER. A GLASS OF WATER ABOUT 8 OUNCES FULL WAS FILLED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE BLED. I DON'T KNOW IF THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY DESIGN PROBS MADE WORSE BY COLD WX OR BY POOR MAINT OF THE WHEEL BUSHINGS AND BRAKE SYS. THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF STEERING, AS FAR AS I KNOW, IS UNKNOWN. I THINK THE COLD WX WAS THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS SIT. THE LAST I KNEW, BRAKES HAD BEEN RESTORED, BUT STEERING TO THE L WAS NOT POSSIBLE. BOTH RUDDER PEDALS WERE INDICATING FULL DEFLECTION, BUT THE NOSE GEAR REFUSED TO MOVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS WAS NOT A DESIGN PROB AS HE FELT AT FIRST. MECHS WHO INSPECTED ACFT AFTER THAWING ICE FROM THE BRAKES BELIEVE THERE WAS A HARD LNDG PRIOR TO RPTR'S ATTEMPTED FLT. THE NOSE STRUT WAS BADLY BENT AND CONSEQUENTLY RESTR NOSEWHEEL STEERING. THE BRAKE PROB, HE FEELS, WAS DELAYED CHANGING OF BEARINGS AND LUBRICATION IN THE BRAKES. ANY CONDENSATION THAT FORMS WILL, OF COURSE, FREEZE, AT 17 DEGS, AND DID SO. VERY UNUSUAL CONDITION AND NOT DESIGN PROB.

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.