Narrative:

I had landed the highly modified PA-11 for a fuel stop. Upon landing; the brakes felt a little mushy; but not unusable. This particular aircraft has no interconnect between the rudder and the tailwheel; and steers on the ground by differential braking only. After fueling up; as I was paying my bill; the lineman mentioned that 3 FAA inspectors were there auditing the FBO. I didn't think much of it at the time. I returned to the aircraft; taxied out; able to make a left turn out of my parking spot; another left turn onto the taxiway; a right turn to the hold short line; stop and make a radio call. However; as I taxied out onto the runway to take off; I made another right turn to center up on the runway; and suddenly I had no brakes at all. I attempted to control the direction of the aircraft with rudder only; without success. My right turn continued until I departed the runway onto the grass shoulder. I shut the engine off and exited the aircraft. There was no damage to either the aircraft or any airport structures. I was able to push the aircraft back onto the runway by myself. After I had done so; a lineman from the FBO drove out to see if everything was ok. He mentioned to me that the 3 FAA inspectors had seen the whole incident. I had the lineman hold onto a wing strut while I restarted the engine and we 'walked' the plane back to the tarmac. The FAA inspectors approached and asked what had happened. I explained the situation to them and told them we were going to fix the problem. They asked to see my pilot certificate; medical; and the aircraft's paperwork; which I provided. All was in order; and they commented to that fact. 'There is no problem here' one of them said; and he told me to get the problem fixed before I attempted to fly the plane again. As this aircraft is in the 'experimental' category; we (the lineman and I) attempted to troubleshoot the problem ourselves. We found that a compression fitting on each brake was loose (the brake system had just been modified by an FBO maintenance shop prior to this flight). We tightened the fittings; added more hydraulic fluid and bled the brakes. I tested each wheel for resistance with the brakes applied; and found them to be sufficient. I started the engine; taxied around and found the brakes to be quite effective. I departed the airport and flew to home base. I found the braking to be adequate upon landing there; and immediately had our mechanic inspect and adjust the brakes. There are a couple of things that I would do differently; given the opportunity to 'redo' this situation. I noticed upon arrival that the brakes felt a little mushy; I should have paid more attention to that. There were signs that a problem existed; as brake fluid was on the tires and around the calipers. Also; I think both myself and the FBO maintenance shop should have been more vigilant about checking the brakes out; since they had just been worked on. I made an assumption that they had 'taken care of things.' that's the kind of stuff that kills pilots. Lesson learned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SHORTLY AFTER MODIFICATIONS TO THE PA11'S BRAKE/STEERING SYSTEM BOTH FAIL DURING TAXI INTO POSITION ON THE RWY FOR TKOF.

Narrative: I HAD LANDED THE HIGHLY MODIFIED PA-11 FOR A FUEL STOP. UPON LNDG; THE BRAKES FELT A LITTLE MUSHY; BUT NOT UNUSABLE. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAS NO INTERCONNECT BTWN THE RUDDER AND THE TAILWHEEL; AND STEERS ON THE GND BY DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING ONLY. AFTER FUELING UP; AS I WAS PAYING MY BILL; THE LINEMAN MENTIONED THAT 3 FAA INSPECTORS WERE THERE AUDITING THE FBO. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT AT THE TIME. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT; TAXIED OUT; ABLE TO MAKE A L TURN OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT; ANOTHER L TURN ONTO THE TXWY; A R TURN TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE; STOP AND MAKE A RADIO CALL. HOWEVER; AS I TAXIED OUT ONTO THE RWY TO TAKE OFF; I MADE ANOTHER R TURN TO CTR UP ON THE RWY; AND SUDDENLY I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. I ATTEMPTED TO CTL THE DIRECTION OF THE ACFT WITH RUDDER ONLY; WITHOUT SUCCESS. MY R TURN CONTINUED UNTIL I DEPARTED THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS SHOULDER. I SHUT THE ENG OFF AND EXITED THE ACFT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EITHER THE ACFT OR ANY ARPT STRUCTURES. I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE RWY BY MYSELF. AFTER I HAD DONE SO; A LINEMAN FROM THE FBO DROVE OUT TO SEE IF EVERYTHING WAS OK. HE MENTIONED TO ME THAT THE 3 FAA INSPECTORS HAD SEEN THE WHOLE INCIDENT. I HAD THE LINEMAN HOLD ONTO A WING STRUT WHILE I RESTARTED THE ENG AND WE 'WALKED' THE PLANE BACK TO THE TARMAC. THE FAA INSPECTORS APPROACHED AND ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM AND TOLD THEM WE WERE GOING TO FIX THE PROB. THEY ASKED TO SEE MY PLT CERTIFICATE; MEDICAL; AND THE ACFT'S PAPERWORK; WHICH I PROVIDED. ALL WAS IN ORDER; AND THEY COMMENTED TO THAT FACT. 'THERE IS NO PROB HERE' ONE OF THEM SAID; AND HE TOLD ME TO GET THE PROB FIXED BEFORE I ATTEMPTED TO FLY THE PLANE AGAIN. AS THIS ACFT IS IN THE 'EXPERIMENTAL' CATEGORY; WE (THE LINEMAN AND I) ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB OURSELVES. WE FOUND THAT A COMPRESSION FITTING ON EACH BRAKE WAS LOOSE (THE BRAKE SYS HAD JUST BEEN MODIFIED BY AN FBO MAINT SHOP PRIOR TO THIS FLT). WE TIGHTENED THE FITTINGS; ADDED MORE HYD FLUID AND BLED THE BRAKES. I TESTED EACH WHEEL FOR RESISTANCE WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED; AND FOUND THEM TO BE SUFFICIENT. I STARTED THE ENG; TAXIED AROUND AND FOUND THE BRAKES TO BE QUITE EFFECTIVE. I DEPARTED THE ARPT AND FLEW TO HOME BASE. I FOUND THE BRAKING TO BE ADEQUATE UPON LNDG THERE; AND IMMEDIATELY HAD OUR MECH INSPECT AND ADJUST THE BRAKES. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY; GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO 'REDO' THIS SITUATION. I NOTICED UPON ARR THAT THE BRAKES FELT A LITTLE MUSHY; I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO THAT. THERE WERE SIGNS THAT A PROB EXISTED; AS BRAKE FLUID WAS ON THE TIRES AND AROUND THE CALIPERS. ALSO; I THINK BOTH MYSELF AND THE FBO MAINT SHOP SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE VIGILANT ABOUT CHKING THE BRAKES OUT; SINCE THEY HAD JUST BEEN WORKED ON. I MADE AN ASSUMPTION THAT THEY HAD 'TAKEN CARE OF THINGS.' THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT KILLS PLTS. LESSON LEARNED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.