Student pilot of PA44 gets his left foot stuck between the rudder pedal and a structural support dur...

Attributes
ACN	650600
Time
Date	200503
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1g3.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 750 flight time type : 140
ASRS Report	650600
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 260 flight time type : 6
ASRS Report	650601
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was giving my student dual in a PA44-180 practicing short field lndgs at 163. I warned him about braking procedures and that there is a bar next to the rudder pedal that some people get their feet stuck on. The approach was normal and landing just after the first VASI for runway 19 at 1g3. The flaps were retracted and brakes began to be applied by the student. I immediately noticed the left main had locked up and I was telling the student; 'let off the brakes; let off the brakes!' he replied his foot had gotten stuck between the brake pedal and the side bar. I immediately verified throttles idle and applied full right rudder and brake to maintain directional control. The aircraft went left of centerline but remained on pavement. When the airplane came to a stop; we removed his foot from where it was stuck and I took the taxi. Once the airplane began to roll; the left main was noticed to be flat. We stopped and shut down the aircraft and maintenance came out and replaced tire. The plane was pulled up to maintenance for further inspection. Both pilots were well rested and in good health. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the instructor pilot advised that the structural member involved is a vertical bar; parallel; about 1/2 inch removed and adjacent to the inside of the left rudder/brake pedal. A similar structural bar is adjacent to the outside of the right pedal. These bars are part of the support mechanism for the brake pedal system. He had previously experienced students inadvertently applying foot pressure to the bar vice the pedal itself and has made instruction on that possibility a part of his student familiarization with the aircraft. This is the first time he has experienced this particular anomaly. He feels there is little that could be done short of pilot awareness to prevent this from happening again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT OF PA44 GETS HIS L FOOT STUCK BTWN THE RUDDER PEDAL AND A STRUCTURAL SUPPORT DURING BRAKING AFTER LNDG. UNABLE TO EXTRICATE FOOT; THE RESULTING MAX BRAKE APPLICATION RESULTS IN A BLOWN TIRE. PROMPT ACTIVATION OF OPPOSING BRAKE APPLICATION AND FULL OPPOSITE RUDDER BY THE INSTRUCTOR PLT PREVENT A RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING MY STUDENT DUAL IN A PA44-180 PRACTICING SHORT FIELD LNDGS AT 163. I WARNED HIM ABOUT BRAKING PROCS AND THAT THERE IS A BAR NEXT TO THE RUDDER PEDAL THAT SOME PEOPLE GET THEIR FEET STUCK ON. THE APCH WAS NORMAL AND LNDG JUST AFTER THE FIRST VASI FOR RWY 19 AT 1G3. THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AND BRAKES BEGAN TO BE APPLIED BY THE STUDENT. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE L MAIN HAD LOCKED UP AND I WAS TELLING THE STUDENT; 'LET OFF THE BRAKES; LET OFF THE BRAKES!' HE REPLIED HIS FOOT HAD GOTTEN STUCK BTWN THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE SIDE BAR. I IMMEDIATELY VERIFIED THROTTLES IDLE AND APPLIED FULL R RUDDER AND BRAKE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL. THE ACFT WENT L OF CTRLINE BUT REMAINED ON PAVEMENT. WHEN THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP; WE REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM WHERE IT WAS STUCK AND I TOOK THE TAXI. ONCE THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO ROLL; THE L MAIN WAS NOTICED TO BE FLAT. WE STOPPED AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND MAINT CAME OUT AND REPLACED TIRE. THE PLANE WAS PULLED UP TO MAINT FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. BOTH PLTS WERE WELL RESTED AND IN GOOD HEALTH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE INSTRUCTOR PLT ADVISED THAT THE STRUCTURAL MEMBER INVOLVED IS A VERT BAR; PARALLEL; ABOUT 1/2 INCH REMOVED AND ADJACENT TO THE INSIDE OF THE L RUDDER/BRAKE PEDAL. A SIMILAR STRUCTURAL BAR IS ADJACENT TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE R PEDAL. THESE BARS ARE PART OF THE SUPPORT MECHANISM FOR THE BRAKE PEDAL SYS. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED STUDENTS INADVERTENTLY APPLYING FOOT PRESSURE TO THE BAR VICE THE PEDAL ITSELF AND HAS MADE INSTRUCTION ON THAT POSSIBILITY A PART OF HIS STUDENT FAMILIARIZATION WITH THE ACFT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PARTICULAR ANOMALY. HE FEELS THERE IS LITTLE THAT COULD BE DONE SHORT OF PLT AWARENESS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.