Narrative:

While on taxiway east; going to runway 7L in phx; the captain stated that his rudder pedals were binding on 2 side panel fasteners that had come loose during taxi. This was the first flight of the day for this aircraft. It had just come out of routine maintenance. I suggested we return to the gate; and the captain concurred. I contacted ground and made the request for a return to gate. Ground asked if we could make a right turn at D4 and hold position on taxiway D. The captain nodded yes and I told ground we could do that. Once established on taxiway D; I went off #1 radio; at the captain's request; to inform operations and get a gate. While I was talking with operations the captain started to taxi east on taxiway D in response to taxi instructions from ground. He made a right turn stopped the aircraft and asked me to help him locate D-7. I told operations to stand by and pulled my airport diagram off my right side window clipboard and held it between us so we could both look at it and locate D-7. I pointed to D-7 on the chart and the captain stated 'oh there it is. I got it now.' the captain started to taxi the aircraft as I turned to my right to put my airport diagram back on my clipboard. Just as I finished replacing it; the captain slammed on the brakes; stopped the aircraft and told ground we had stopped. I looked up and saw that we were on one of the high-speed turnoffs to runway 25R (E-6 or E-7 I do not remember which). We had crossed the hold short line and the aircraft was just short of crossing the runway edge line. The airbus A380 crossed our nose in the middle of a tower directed high-speed abort. I went back to communication #1 in time to hear ground tell us 'that was a left turn at D-7.' ground asked if we could make a 180 degree turn. In the turn we lost nosewheel steering. After nosewheel steering was regained we slowly taxied to our gate. Perceptions: I feel I contributed greatly to this incident by failing to remain heads up and situationally aware during a critical operation. I should have stayed on communication #1 until the aircraft was out of the congested area. The call to operations could have waited. This was poor airmanship on my part. I got caught up in the rush of the operation. I left the captain by himself in a busy ground environment with an aircraft that was broken. I am very thankful that no one was injured and that ground was watching and told us to stop when they did. I don't know what else to say. Please learn from reading this. Supplemental information from acn 707293: the root cause was 2 spring-loaded fasteners that hold the side panel to the center console. 1 upper; and 1 lower. They are the same ht as the rudder pedals and located in very close proximity. This is what prevented the rudder from moving and brake from being able to be applied. I think a service bulletin or even an airworthiness directive should be issued. Callback conversation with reporter acn 707098 revealed the following information: the first officer reported he believed there is a current airworthiness directive regarding the fasteners that caused the problem. He was uncertain whether the event was triggered by a mechanical failure of the fasteners or the failure of maintenance to properly secure the panel after the completion of the maintenance procedures which preceded the flight. Reporter advised there is a current NOTAM for inspection of the fasteners involved but feels more frequent inspections are necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ FLT CREW EXPERIENCE RWY INCURSION AT PHX WHEN BRAKE AND STEERING SYS MALFUNCTION. ATC DIRECTED HIGH SPD ABORT OF DEPARTING ACFT IS NECESSARY.

Narrative: WHILE ON TXWY E; GOING TO RWY 7L IN PHX; THE CAPT STATED THAT HIS RUDDER PEDALS WERE BINDING ON 2 SIDE PANEL FASTENERS THAT HAD COME LOOSE DURING TAXI. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY FOR THIS ACFT. IT HAD JUST COME OUT OF ROUTINE MAINT. I SUGGESTED WE RETURN TO THE GATE; AND THE CAPT CONCURRED. I CONTACTED GND AND MADE THE REQUEST FOR A RETURN TO GATE. GND ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE A R TURN AT D4 AND HOLD POSITION ON TXWY D. THE CAPT NODDED YES AND I TOLD GND WE COULD DO THAT. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON TXWY D; I WENT OFF #1 RADIO; AT THE CAPT'S REQUEST; TO INFORM OPS AND GET A GATE. WHILE I WAS TALKING WITH OPS THE CAPT STARTED TO TAXI E ON TXWY D IN RESPONSE TO TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND. HE MADE A R TURN STOPPED THE ACFT AND ASKED ME TO HELP HIM LOCATE D-7. I TOLD OPS TO STAND BY AND PULLED MY ARPT DIAGRAM OFF MY R SIDE WINDOW CLIPBOARD AND HELD IT BTWN US SO WE COULD BOTH LOOK AT IT AND LOCATE D-7. I POINTED TO D-7 ON THE CHART AND THE CAPT STATED 'OH THERE IT IS. I GOT IT NOW.' THE CAPT STARTED TO TAXI THE ACFT AS I TURNED TO MY R TO PUT MY ARPT DIAGRAM BACK ON MY CLIPBOARD. JUST AS I FINISHED REPLACING IT; THE CAPT SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES; STOPPED THE ACFT AND TOLD GND WE HAD STOPPED. I LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT WE WERE ON ONE OF THE HIGH-SPD TURNOFFS TO RWY 25R (E-6 OR E-7 I DO NOT REMEMBER WHICH). WE HAD CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND THE ACFT WAS JUST SHORT OF XING THE RWY EDGE LINE. THE AIRBUS A380 CROSSED OUR NOSE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TWR DIRECTED HIGH-SPD ABORT. I WENT BACK TO COM #1 IN TIME TO HEAR GND TELL US 'THAT WAS A L TURN AT D-7.' GND ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE A 180 DEG TURN. IN THE TURN WE LOST NOSEWHEEL STEERING. AFTER NOSEWHEEL STEERING WAS REGAINED WE SLOWLY TAXIED TO OUR GATE. PERCEPTIONS: I FEEL I CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THIS INCIDENT BY FAILING TO REMAIN HEADS UP AND SITUATIONALLY AWARE DURING A CRITICAL OP. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON COM #1 UNTIL THE ACFT WAS OUT OF THE CONGESTED AREA. THE CALL TO OPS COULD HAVE WAITED. THIS WAS POOR AIRMANSHIP ON MY PART. I GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE RUSH OF THE OP. I LEFT THE CAPT BY HIMSELF IN A BUSY GND ENVIRONMENT WITH AN ACFT THAT WAS BROKEN. I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THAT GND WAS WATCHING AND TOLD US TO STOP WHEN THEY DID. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY. PLEASE LEARN FROM READING THIS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 707293: THE ROOT CAUSE WAS 2 SPRING-LOADED FASTENERS THAT HOLD THE SIDE PANEL TO THE CTR CONSOLE. 1 UPPER; AND 1 LOWER. THEY ARE THE SAME HT AS THE RUDDER PEDALS AND LOCATED IN VERY CLOSE PROX. THIS IS WHAT PREVENTED THE RUDDER FROM MOVING AND BRAKE FROM BEING ABLE TO BE APPLIED. I THINK A SVC BULLETIN OR EVEN AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE SHOULD BE ISSUED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 707098 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO RPTED HE BELIEVED THERE IS A CURRENT AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE REGARDING THE FASTENERS THAT CAUSED THE PROB. HE WAS UNCERTAIN WHETHER THE EVENT WAS TRIGGERED BY A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE FASTENERS OR THE FAILURE OF MAINT TO PROPERLY SECURE THE PANEL AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE MAINT PROCS WHICH PRECEDED THE FLT. RPTR ADVISED THERE IS A CURRENT NOTAM FOR INSPECTION OF THE FASTENERS INVOLVED BUT FEELS MORE FREQUENT INSPECTIONS ARE NECESSARY.

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.