Narrative:

On mar/fri/02, C172 was preflted inside the hangar. I found the airplane to be in airworthy condition. The plane was then pulled out of the hangar and started with supporting checklists. After receiving ATIS, the brakes were released, a little throttle given, and then brakes were reapplied to verify their operation. They were fine so I continued to taxi on the ramp to the edge of taxiway east. I stopped at taxiway east and contacted ground control. They gave clearance to taxi to runway 28 via taxiway east. When the plane started to roll, I applied left brake to assist in turning around the bend. The left brake performed fine. I applied the correct wind correction to the ailerons, a left quartering tailwind. I continued to taxi down taxiway east with an RPM setting of 900 RPM and a speed of that of a brisk walk. After crossing taxiway C there was a bend/zigzag in taxiway east. As I approached the bend I applied right brake and had none. I tried again and still had none. I applied some left brake to try to slow down or stop before the edge of the taxiway. It slowed the plane, but not before rolling about 5-10 ft off the taxiway. As it rolled off the taxiway, the left rear main gear pushed a taxiway light back slightly. I then used the left brake to bring the plane back onto the taxiway to contact ground. I contacted ground and explained the situation. The plane was then taxied very slowly back to the hangar. The incident happened at early XA05 am. The problem was caused by a faulty right brake. Another factor to the situation was the tailwind which made the rudder that much less effective. In the future I plan to test the brake before approaching any sharp turns. Hopefully then there will be more than a few feet to deal with the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY EXCURSION WHEN A C172 PVT PLT LOSES R BRAKING CAPABILITY ON THE TAXI-OUT TO RWY 28 AT DPA, IL.

Narrative: ON MAR/FRI/02, C172 WAS PREFLTED INSIDE THE HANGAR. I FOUND THE AIRPLANE TO BE IN AIRWORTHY CONDITION. THE PLANE WAS THEN PULLED OUT OF THE HANGAR AND STARTED WITH SUPPORTING CHKLISTS. AFTER RECEIVING ATIS, THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED, A LITTLE THROTTLE GIVEN, AND THEN BRAKES WERE REAPPLIED TO VERIFY THEIR OP. THEY WERE FINE SO I CONTINUED TO TAXI ON THE RAMP TO THE EDGE OF TXWY E. I STOPPED AT TXWY E AND CONTACTED GND CTL. THEY GAVE CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 28 VIA TXWY E. WHEN THE PLANE STARTED TO ROLL, I APPLIED L BRAKE TO ASSIST IN TURNING AROUND THE BEND. THE L BRAKE PERFORMED FINE. I APPLIED THE CORRECT WIND CORRECTION TO THE AILERONS, A L QUARTERING TAILWIND. I CONTINUED TO TAXI DOWN TXWY E WITH AN RPM SETTING OF 900 RPM AND A SPD OF THAT OF A BRISK WALK. AFTER XING TXWY C THERE WAS A BEND/ZIGZAG IN TXWY E. AS I APCHED THE BEND I APPLIED R BRAKE AND HAD NONE. I TRIED AGAIN AND STILL HAD NONE. I APPLIED SOME L BRAKE TO TRY TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP BEFORE THE EDGE OF THE TXWY. IT SLOWED THE PLANE, BUT NOT BEFORE ROLLING ABOUT 5-10 FT OFF THE TXWY. AS IT ROLLED OFF THE TXWY, THE L REAR MAIN GEAR PUSHED A TXWY LIGHT BACK SLIGHTLY. I THEN USED THE L BRAKE TO BRING THE PLANE BACK ONTO THE TXWY TO CONTACT GND. I CONTACTED GND AND EXPLAINED THE SIT. THE PLANE WAS THEN TAXIED VERY SLOWLY BACK TO THE HANGAR. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT EARLY XA05 AM. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY R BRAKE. ANOTHER FACTOR TO THE SIT WAS THE TAILWIND WHICH MADE THE RUDDER THAT MUCH LESS EFFECTIVE. IN THE FUTURE I PLAN TO TEST THE BRAKE BEFORE APCHING ANY SHARP TURNS. HOPEFULLY THEN THERE WILL BE MORE THAN A FEW FEET TO DEAL WITH THE SIT.

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.