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A C185 while taxiing had the brakes fail allowing the aircraft to exit the taxiway striking and damaging a taxiway light.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 423328 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199812 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tiw |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Skywagon 185 |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1040 flight time type : 40 |
| ASRS Report | 423328 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : ground |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While taxiing to the active runway aircraft directional control became slightly difficult and braking action was fine. I advised the tower that I needed to return to my starting point and was cleared to do so. As I initiated a turn to exit the taxiway onto the ramp, braking failed and directional control was lost due to the inability to move the rudder pedals or brakes. The aircraft rolled slowly into the grass and a taxiway light was destroyed. Mechanics that subsequently worked on the airplane believed that moisture in the brake lines froze causing brake drag and inability to steer the aircraft. Outside air temperature was -7 degrees C. Though this chain of events was unforseeable, the situation perhaps could have been improved by thorough bleeding of the hydraulic system prior to operating in freezing conditions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C185 WHILE TAXIING HAD THE BRAKES FAIL ALLOWING THE ACFT TO EXIT THE TXWY STRIKING AND DAMAGING A TXWY LIGHT.
Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO THE ACTIVE RWY ACFT DIRECTIONAL CTL BECAME SLIGHTLY DIFFICULT AND BRAKING ACTION WAS FINE. I ADVISED THE TWR THAT I NEEDED TO RETURN TO MY STARTING POINT AND WAS CLRED TO DO SO. AS I INITIATED A TURN TO EXIT THE TXWY ONTO THE RAMP, BRAKING FAILED AND DIRECTIONAL CTL WAS LOST DUE TO THE INABILITY TO MOVE THE RUDDER PEDALS OR BRAKES. THE ACFT ROLLED SLOWLY INTO THE GRASS AND A TXWY LIGHT WAS DESTROYED. MECHS THAT SUBSEQUENTLY WORKED ON THE AIRPLANE BELIEVED THAT MOISTURE IN THE BRAKE LINES FROZE CAUSING BRAKE DRAG AND INABILITY TO STEER THE ACFT. OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS -7 DEGS C. THOUGH THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS WAS UNFORSEEABLE, THE SIT PERHAPS COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROVED BY THOROUGH BLEEDING OF THE HYD SYS PRIOR TO OPERATING IN FREEZING CONDITIONS.
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.