Narrative:

As a student and I were taxiing off the runway we were instructed by tower to cross on charlie; and stop after the hold short line. As the student started slowing down the plane using the brakes we both noticed the plane drifting to the right. The student pressed more on the left rudder and brake in order to correct this; which I could feel because both of my feet were on the rudder pedals in case. Suddenly I felt the left rudder pedal totally give in; like a snap. The student noticed this as well; and we had no control over the left brake and rudder anymore. The plane kept on turning right so I released pressure from the right pedal and pushed as far as I could on the left pedal with no effect; pulled the throttle to idle; and pulled the mixture to lean at the same time. The plane was turning towards the grass and dirt and a taxi light. The prop stopped as it struck the taxi light on our right and the plane stopped on the grass and dirt. The student and I did not suffer any injury of any kind. We saw that the connection of the left pedal to the actuating system broke. We also saw that one side of the tip of the prop was bent. County officials; and officials from the flight school; came to take pictures and check the damage. Later on an FAA investigator came to talk to the student and I; took our information; and proceeded to check the plane; and the place where the plane came to a stop. After some hours the investigator told flight school officials; the mechanic; and I that this was an incident. That this had been caused by a mechanical failure of the plane; due to its old age; and explained there was not much I could do. Perhaps I could have pressed further on the left rudder to make the nose gear turn left; but later on I realized that when the system broke; it did not allow for left steering anymore.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A brake failure on a C172 resulted in striking a taxi light after a departure from a taxiway.

Narrative: As a student and I were taxiing off the runway we were instructed by Tower to cross on Charlie; and stop after the hold short line. As the student started slowing down the plane using the brakes we both noticed the plane drifting to the right. The student pressed more on the left rudder and brake in order to correct this; which I could feel because both of my feet were on the rudder pedals in case. Suddenly I felt the left rudder pedal totally give in; like a snap. The student noticed this as well; and we had no control over the left brake and rudder anymore. The plane kept on turning right so I released pressure from the right pedal and pushed as far as I could on the left pedal with no effect; pulled the throttle to idle; and pulled the mixture to lean at the same time. The plane was turning towards the grass and dirt and a taxi light. The prop stopped as it struck the taxi light on our right and the plane stopped on the grass and dirt. The student and I did not suffer any injury of any kind. We saw that the connection of the left pedal to the actuating system broke. We also saw that one side of the tip of the prop was bent. County officials; and officials from the flight school; came to take pictures and check the damage. Later on an FAA Investigator came to talk to the student and I; took our information; and proceeded to check the plane; and the place where the plane came to a stop. After some hours the Investigator told flight school officials; the mechanic; and I that this was an incident. That this had been caused by a mechanical failure of the plane; due to its old age; and explained there was not much I could do. Perhaps I could have pressed further on the left rudder to make the nose gear turn left; but later on I realized that when the system broke; it did not allow for left steering anymore.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.