Narrative:

The problem arose about 1150 ft ahead after making a soft touchdown on the centerline of runway 20 at tweed-new haven airport. The wind heading was 200 degrees and 10 KTS. The landing appeared uneventful, so much so that the tower told me later that they stopped looking at my plane momentarily and gave their attention to another one. As I applied my brakes after touchdown and started approaching charlie taxiway with the eventual intention of turning left on charlie taxiway, the plane began abruptly veering to the right. At that moment, I distinctly and clearly recall raising my left foot and pressing on the left brake and rudder pedal several times in an attempt to get back on the centerline but got no response. I only remember that the left brake appeared soft and mushy. The plane continued to veer to the right until I clipped the corner of charlie taxiway, thereby running over a small charlie sign, a landing light, and a low pole light before eventually ending up on the charlie taxiway just ahead. I believe the contributing factors were: 1. There was the possibility of a sudden wind shear from the left causing the plane to uncontrollably move to the right regardless of the corrective actions attempted by me as indicated above. 2) that the brakes may have locked on me. This can perhaps be substantiated by the fact that upon surveying the incident area later on, only a brake tire streak from the right gear appeared on the runway, but no left brake rubber streak whatsoever. The brakes were eventually checked and found to be working properly. To prevent a recurrence, I suggest to pilots to always be prepared to expect the unexpected even after landing and slowing down. I also believe its possible there might have been too much braking action, thereby causing the brakes to possibly lock. On hindsight, it may have been safer to do a 'touch and go' instead of a full stop landing. It may have also been wise to increase the throttle to possibly straighten out and to have continued on runway and turn off at the far end of the runway before turning off onto a taxiway, even though the tower usually likes pilots to get off the runways as expeditiously as possible commensurate with air safety.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL LOST CTL OF THE ACFT DURING LNDG ROLL AND WENT OFF SIDE OF RWY HITTING A TXWY SIGN, RWY LIGHT AND A POLE LIGHT. NO SERIOUS OR SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE ABOUT 1150 FT AHEAD AFTER MAKING A SOFT TOUCHDOWN ON THE CTRLINE OF RWY 20 AT TWEED-NEW HAVEN ARPT. THE WIND HDG WAS 200 DEGS AND 10 KTS. THE LNDG APPEARED UNEVENTFUL, SO MUCH SO THAT THE TWR TOLD ME LATER THAT THEY STOPPED LOOKING AT MY PLANE MOMENTARILY AND GAVE THEIR ATTN TO ANOTHER ONE. AS I APPLIED MY BRAKES AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND STARTED APCHING CHARLIE TXWY WITH THE EVENTUAL INTENTION OF TURNING L ON CHARLIE TXWY, THE PLANE BEGAN ABRUPTLY VEERING TO THE R. AT THAT MOMENT, I DISTINCTLY AND CLRLY RECALL RAISING MY L FOOT AND PRESSING ON THE L BRAKE AND RUDDER PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET BACK ON THE CTRLINE BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I ONLY REMEMBER THAT THE L BRAKE APPEARED SOFT AND MUSHY. THE PLANE CONTINUED TO VEER TO THE R UNTIL I CLIPPED THE CORNER OF CHARLIE TXWY, THEREBY RUNNING OVER A SMALL CHARLIE SIGN, A LNDG LIGHT, AND A LOW POLE LIGHT BEFORE EVENTUALLY ENDING UP ON THE CHARLIE TXWY JUST AHEAD. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1. THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF A SUDDEN WIND SHEAR FROM THE L CAUSING THE PLANE TO UNCONTROLLABLY MOVE TO THE R REGARDLESS OF THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ATTEMPTED BY ME AS INDICATED ABOVE. 2) THAT THE BRAKES MAY HAVE LOCKED ON ME. THIS CAN PERHAPS BE SUBSTANTIATED BY THE FACT THAT UPON SURVEYING THE INCIDENT AREA LATER ON, ONLY A BRAKE TIRE STREAK FROM THE R GEAR APPEARED ON THE RWY, BUT NO L BRAKE RUBBER STREAK WHATSOEVER. THE BRAKES WERE EVENTUALLY CHKED AND FOUND TO BE WORKING PROPERLY. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, I SUGGEST TO PLTS TO ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED EVEN AFTER LNDG AND SLOWING DOWN. I ALSO BELIEVE ITS POSSIBLE THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO MUCH BRAKING ACTION, THEREBY CAUSING THE BRAKES TO POSSIBLY LOCK. ON HINDSIGHT, IT MAY HAVE BEEN SAFER TO DO A 'TOUCH AND GO' INSTEAD OF A FULL STOP LNDG. IT MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN WISE TO INCREASE THE THROTTLE TO POSSIBLY STRAIGHTEN OUT AND TO HAVE CONTINUED ON RWY AND TURN OFF AT THE FAR END OF THE RWY BEFORE TURNING OFF ONTO A TXWY, EVEN THOUGH THE TWR USUALLY LIKES PLTS TO GET OFF THE RWYS AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE COMMENSURATE WITH AIR SAFETY.

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.