Narrative:

The chain of events that led to the situation that occurred on nov/xa/99 are as follows. I was receiving multi-engine instructor flight instruction. This flight was my third flight in the make and model of aircraft. This specific model was not equipped with brakes on the right side of the aircraft. Prior to entering the traffic pattern, I discussed speeds, power setting and directional control being the instructor's responsibility on the ground. Several full stop taxi-backs were conducted and positive directional control responsibility was used, eg, 'you have the controls,' 'I have the controls,' 'you have the controls.' upon making our last landing, the tower cleared us to exit the runway and contact ground control. The approach was normal. As my instructor assumed directional control her foot became stuck. The aircraft's track was slightly right of centerline and it was clear that her foot was 'stuck' in such a way to cause the brake to lock and a skid occurred. She complained over and over of her foot being stuck. I tried to use the rudder pedals to correct but her foot was stuck in such a manner that I could not correct the aircraft's direction. When it became apparent that the aircraft was going to depart the runway, I made the decision to shut the engines down to avoid any possible damage that could possibly occur. The throttles were at an idle position. I closed the mixtures, and placed the propeller controls in the feather detent. I increased back pressure to increase tail down force and avoid collapsing the nosewheel. The aircraft departed the runway slightly right of centerline at a speed equivalent to a brisk walk. As my instructor worked to free her foot, I placed the fuel selectors in the off position and turned off all electrical equipment. We got out of the aircraft unhurt and received a ride from the airport authority/authorized to the hangar. After the maintenance technicians inspected the aircraft it was taxied back to the hangar under its own power. The aircraft was inspected and returned to service the following day. The contributing factor was the apparel worn by the instructor that caused her foot to become stuck. Under the circumstances the corrective actions taken to shut the engines down to avoid pwrplant damage and increasing back pressure to avoid landing gear failure proved to be effective. Costly aircraft damage was avoided. I never considered that clothing and apparel could be such a factor in the control or loss of control of an aircraft. The communications made between the instructor and myself were clear. The use of emergency procedures was completed. After reviewing the situation over and over in my head and discussing it with another instructor, I am aware that my actions probably saved the pwrplant and landing gear of the aircraft. In the future, I will pay specific attention to clothing and apparel and their effects on control input. As part of the preflight briefing, under 'flight controls free and correct,' I have started making sure that my apparel does not inhibit my ability to make control inputs. I also am not likely to conduct flight training or receive flight training in an aircraft that does not have dual braking system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA34-200 LEAVES RWY WHEN INSTRUCTOR'S FOOT BECOMES STUCK IN THE RUDDER CTLS.

Narrative: THE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT LED TO THE SIT THAT OCCURRED ON NOV/XA/99 ARE AS FOLLOWS. I WAS RECEIVING MULTI-ENG INSTRUCTOR FLT INSTRUCTION. THIS FLT WAS MY THIRD FLT IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF ACFT. THIS SPECIFIC MODEL WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH BRAKES ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. PRIOR TO ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN, I DISCUSSED SPDS, PWR SETTING AND DIRECTIONAL CTL BEING THE INSTRUCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY ON THE GND. SEVERAL FULL STOP TAXI-BACKS WERE CONDUCTED AND POSITIVE DIRECTIONAL CTL RESPONSIBILITY WAS USED, EG, 'YOU HAVE THE CTLS,' 'I HAVE THE CTLS,' 'YOU HAVE THE CTLS.' UPON MAKING OUR LAST LNDG, THE TWR CLRED US TO EXIT THE RWY AND CONTACT GND CTL. THE APCH WAS NORMAL. AS MY INSTRUCTOR ASSUMED DIRECTIONAL CTL HER FOOT BECAME STUCK. THE ACFT'S TRACK WAS SLIGHTLY R OF CTRLINE AND IT WAS CLR THAT HER FOOT WAS 'STUCK' IN SUCH A WAY TO CAUSE THE BRAKE TO LOCK AND A SKID OCCURRED. SHE COMPLAINED OVER AND OVER OF HER FOOT BEING STUCK. I TRIED TO USE THE RUDDER PEDALS TO CORRECT BUT HER FOOT WAS STUCK IN SUCH A MANNER THAT I COULD NOT CORRECT THE ACFT'S DIRECTION. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE ACFT WAS GOING TO DEPART THE RWY, I MADE THE DECISION TO SHUT THE ENGS DOWN TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE DAMAGE THAT COULD POSSIBLY OCCUR. THE THROTTLES WERE AT AN IDLE POS. I CLOSED THE MIXTURES, AND PLACED THE PROP CTLS IN THE FEATHER DETENT. I INCREASED BACK PRESSURE TO INCREASE TAIL DOWN FORCE AND AVOID COLLAPSING THE NOSEWHEEL. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE RWY SLIGHTLY R OF CTRLINE AT A SPD EQUIVALENT TO A BRISK WALK. AS MY INSTRUCTOR WORKED TO FREE HER FOOT, I PLACED THE FUEL SELECTORS IN THE OFF POS AND TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP. WE GOT OUT OF THE ACFT UNHURT AND RECEIVED A RIDE FROM THE ARPT AUTH TO THE HANGAR. AFTER THE MAINT TECHNICIANS INSPECTED THE ACFT IT WAS TAXIED BACK TO THE HANGAR UNDER ITS OWN PWR. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED AND RETURNED TO SVC THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE APPAREL WORN BY THE INSTRUCTOR THAT CAUSED HER FOOT TO BECOME STUCK. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TAKEN TO SHUT THE ENGS DOWN TO AVOID PWRPLANT DAMAGE AND INCREASING BACK PRESSURE TO AVOID LNDG GEAR FAILURE PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE. COSTLY ACFT DAMAGE WAS AVOIDED. I NEVER CONSIDERED THAT CLOTHING AND APPAREL COULD BE SUCH A FACTOR IN THE CTL OR LOSS OF CTL OF AN ACFT. THE COMS MADE BTWN THE INSTRUCTOR AND MYSELF WERE CLR. THE USE OF EMER PROCS WAS COMPLETED. AFTER REVIEWING THE SIT OVER AND OVER IN MY HEAD AND DISCUSSING IT WITH ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR, I AM AWARE THAT MY ACTIONS PROBABLY SAVED THE PWRPLANT AND LNDG GEAR OF THE ACFT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL PAY SPECIFIC ATTN TO CLOTHING AND APPAREL AND THEIR EFFECTS ON CTL INPUT. AS PART OF THE PREFLT BRIEFING, UNDER 'FLT CTLS FREE AND CORRECT,' I HAVE STARTED MAKING SURE THAT MY APPAREL DOES NOT INHIBIT MY ABILITY TO MAKE CTL INPUTS. I ALSO AM NOT LIKELY TO CONDUCT FLT TRAINING OR RECEIVE FLT TRAINING IN AN ACFT THAT DOES NOT HAVE DUAL BRAKING SYS.

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.