PA28 student pilot is convinced to allow ground personnel at FBO to reposition and park his aircraft...

Narrative:

As soon as I arrived at the parking area in front of the GA terminal; a marshaller was waiting for me to give me parking instructions by hand signals. I didn't understand the hand signals he was giving me; so I stopped and tried to make this clear to him. The marshaller saw this and tried to give me other signals; but I still parked the airplane in the wrong direction. So; I decided to shut down the engine and to push it in position myself with the towing bar. As soon as I came out of the airplane; the marshaller told me a towing vehicle was on its way to turn it around. I told him this was not necessary and that I could push the airplane in position myself. But the marshaller insisted and told me again a towing vehicle was already on its way to the airplane; so I agreed to use the vehicle. After they connected the towing vehicle to the nosewheel of the airplane by a towing bar; the towing vehicle started to push the airplane around. As the towing vehicle pushed the airplane it made a pretty sharp turn. At a given moment; I heard a sort of snapping sound of which I thought it was coming from the torque link on the nosewheel. At this same moment; the towing vehicle stopped pushing and began pulling to get the airplane in position. Due to the sound; I got suspicious and inspected the torque link and the steering mechanism from the bottom of the cowling. I couldn't detect any bends; cracks or other damage. Then I walked to the GA terminal to get a cup of coffee. When I came back after approximately 15 mins; I removed the blocks and did a short check on the fuel and oil contents. After that took place; and the airplane engine was started; did the run-up and made it ready to taxi to the runway. As soon as I had a taxi clearance; and when I was on my way to the runway; I made some sharp s-turns on the taxiway as a final check to make sure the steering gear was ok. Everything seemed normal; so I continued my taxi. Even after takeoff; I didn't notice anything unusual; so I continued for touch-and-goes. Some of the touch-and-goes didn't go really smoothly; I was having difficulty to de-crab. After I finished my touch-and-goes; I asked for permission to depart to the northeast. When I was on my way to ZZZ1; noticed that I had to give a lot of left rudder to fly coordination in a straight and level flight. So I turned the rudder trim considerably to the left to compensate for it. But I didn't use the rudder trim on my way. It was this moment I realized there was something wrong with my rudder. But the airplane was still controllable. I already made 8 lndgs and several gars with it at ZZZ. As soon as I had landed at ZZZ1; I taxied to the ramp where I parked and inspected the rudder. I detected that there was considerable play in the rudder itself. Prevention: preflight the airplane thoroughly between 2 flts. Don't push/tow a piper archer with a towing vehicle. If you are suspicious about something; don't fly! Let a mechanic check it first before you go. Learn/know the parking signs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 STUDENT PLT IS CONVINCED TO ALLOW GND PERSONNEL AT FBO TO REPOSITION AND PARK HIS ACFT WITH A TOWING VEHICLE. SUBSEQUENT RUDDER CONTROL ANOMALIES CAUSE REPORTER TO SUSPECT THEY DAMAGED THE ACFT WHILE DOING SO.

Narrative: AS SOON AS I ARRIVED AT THE PARKING AREA IN FRONT OF THE GA TERMINAL; A MARSHALLER WAS WAITING FOR ME TO GIVE ME PARKING INSTRUCTIONS BY HAND SIGNALS. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE HAND SIGNALS HE WAS GIVING ME; SO I STOPPED AND TRIED TO MAKE THIS CLR TO HIM. THE MARSHALLER SAW THIS AND TRIED TO GIVE ME OTHER SIGNALS; BUT I STILL PARKED THE AIRPLANE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. SO; I DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND TO PUSH IT IN POS MYSELF WITH THE TOWING BAR. AS SOON AS I CAME OUT OF THE AIRPLANE; THE MARSHALLER TOLD ME A TOWING VEHICLE WAS ON ITS WAY TO TURN IT AROUND. I TOLD HIM THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY AND THAT I COULD PUSH THE AIRPLANE IN POS MYSELF. BUT THE MARSHALLER INSISTED AND TOLD ME AGAIN A TOWING VEHICLE WAS ALREADY ON ITS WAY TO THE AIRPLANE; SO I AGREED TO USE THE VEHICLE. AFTER THEY CONNECTED THE TOWING VEHICLE TO THE NOSEWHEEL OF THE AIRPLANE BY A TOWING BAR; THE TOWING VEHICLE STARTED TO PUSH THE AIRPLANE AROUND. AS THE TOWING VEHICLE PUSHED THE AIRPLANE IT MADE A PRETTY SHARP TURN. AT A GIVEN MOMENT; I HEARD A SORT OF SNAPPING SOUND OF WHICH I THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM THE TORQUE LINK ON THE NOSEWHEEL. AT THIS SAME MOMENT; THE TOWING VEHICLE STOPPED PUSHING AND BEGAN PULLING TO GET THE AIRPLANE IN POS. DUE TO THE SOUND; I GOT SUSPICIOUS AND INSPECTED THE TORQUE LINK AND THE STEERING MECHANISM FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE COWLING. I COULDN'T DETECT ANY BENDS; CRACKS OR OTHER DAMAGE. THEN I WALKED TO THE GA TERMINAL TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE. WHEN I CAME BACK AFTER APPROX 15 MINS; I REMOVED THE BLOCKS AND DID A SHORT CHK ON THE FUEL AND OIL CONTENTS. AFTER THAT TOOK PLACE; AND THE AIRPLANE ENG WAS STARTED; DID THE RUN-UP AND MADE IT READY TO TAXI TO THE RWY. AS SOON AS I HAD A TAXI CLRNC; AND WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE RWY; I MADE SOME SHARP S-TURNS ON THE TXWY AS A FINAL CHK TO MAKE SURE THE STEERING GEAR WAS OK. EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL; SO I CONTINUED MY TAXI. EVEN AFTER TKOF; I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL; SO I CONTINUED FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES. SOME OF THE TOUCH-AND-GOES DIDN'T GO REALLY SMOOTHLY; I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY TO DE-CRAB. AFTER I FINISHED MY TOUCH-AND-GOES; I ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO DEPART TO THE NE. WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO ZZZ1; NOTICED THAT I HAD TO GIVE A LOT OF L RUDDER TO FLY COORD IN A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT. SO I TURNED THE RUDDER TRIM CONSIDERABLY TO THE L TO COMPENSATE FOR IT. BUT I DIDN'T USE THE RUDDER TRIM ON MY WAY. IT WAS THIS MOMENT I REALIZED THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY RUDDER. BUT THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL CONTROLLABLE. I ALREADY MADE 8 LNDGS AND SEVERAL GARS WITH IT AT ZZZ. AS SOON AS I HAD LANDED AT ZZZ1; I TAXIED TO THE RAMP WHERE I PARKED AND INSPECTED THE RUDDER. I DETECTED THAT THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE PLAY IN THE RUDDER ITSELF. PREVENTION: PREFLT THE AIRPLANE THOROUGHLY BTWN 2 FLTS. DON'T PUSH/TOW A PIPER ARCHER WITH A TOWING VEHICLE. IF YOU ARE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT SOMETHING; DON'T FLY! LET A MECH CHK IT FIRST BEFORE YOU GO. LEARN/KNOW THE PARKING SIGNS.

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.

Attributes
ACN	788731
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 3200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 23.25 flight time total : 23.25 flight time type : 23.25
ASRS Report	788731
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : vehicle other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

PA28 student pilot is convinced to allow ground personnel at FBO to reposition and park his aircraft with a towing vehicle. Subsequent rudder control anomalies cause reporter to suspect they damaged the aircraft while doing so.