Narrative:

Prior to departing mmcs (juarez; mexico) we accomplished the preflight; and called tower for clearance. We were told to ask for the clearance when asking to taxi. We proceeded with the before start checklist. The conditions were dark; rainy and a wet surface. Our parking proximity was facing an FBO. The building is approximately 15 ft high. There is a spotlight illuminating the ramp which was directly in front of the aircraft. The marshaller motioned us forward; and then a turn left. I began a left turn and reached for the park button to expand the nosewheel steering from 10 degrees to 63 degrees. In doing so; I hit the nosewheel arm switch (beside the park button) into the off position. The panel light was out; and the exterior spotlight made it difficult to see the panel clearly. The first officer was obtaining clearance and could not assist in our distance from the wall on our right. I began to brake the aircraft without success. The brakes have been written up several times in the past 3 months as working sporadically. I felt pressure; but little braking action; and our right wingtip struck the wall. We shut down the aircraft and inspected the damage. The wingtip; a plastic 1-PIECE construction had been damaged. The first officer; also an a&P mechanic with the company visually inspected and found little damage. Prior to this flight; I had received a telephone call from my training captain with regard to several late deliveries and unhappy customers. In addition; cell phone coverage is limited in mexico; and I felt it was best to proceed with the 6 min flight to el paso and address the problem there. The return flight to el paso was uneventful; after checking the steering and braking of the aircraft. We cleared customs and I notified the company director of maintenance; director of operations; and training captain of what had occurred. The airplane was written up; and we switched to another aircraft to continue the flight. I felt pressured to complete the short flight; as well as having an a&P mechanic inspect the damage and assess it as ok for flight. In doing so; I failed to complete the paperwork correctly; and we subsequently are now being investigated by the FAA. My actions should have been to discontinue the flight; and await further instructions. However; in view of the little damage and short flight; plus the pressure to complete the flight without any further delay; I decided to continue; which is in breach of FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SA226 METROLINER PLT STRIKES A BUILDING WITH THE WINGTIP TAXIING OUT OR DEP AT MMCS.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEPARTING MMCS (JUAREZ; MEXICO) WE ACCOMPLISHED THE PREFLT; AND CALLED TWR FOR CLRNC. WE WERE TOLD TO ASK FOR THE CLRNC WHEN ASKING TO TAXI. WE PROCEEDED WITH THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. THE CONDITIONS WERE DARK; RAINY AND A WET SURFACE. OUR PARKING PROX WAS FACING AN FBO. THE BUILDING IS APPROX 15 FT HIGH. THERE IS A SPOTLIGHT ILLUMINATING THE RAMP WHICH WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. THE MARSHALLER MOTIONED US FORWARD; AND THEN A TURN L. I BEGAN A L TURN AND REACHED FOR THE PARK BUTTON TO EXPAND THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING FROM 10 DEGS TO 63 DEGS. IN DOING SO; I HIT THE NOSEWHEEL ARM SWITCH (BESIDE THE PARK BUTTON) INTO THE OFF POS. THE PANEL LIGHT WAS OUT; AND THE EXTERIOR SPOTLIGHT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE PANEL CLRLY. THE FO WAS OBTAINING CLRNC AND COULD NOT ASSIST IN OUR DISTANCE FROM THE WALL ON OUR R. I BEGAN TO BRAKE THE ACFT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN WRITTEN UP SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS AS WORKING SPORADICALLY. I FELT PRESSURE; BUT LITTLE BRAKING ACTION; AND OUR R WINGTIP STRUCK THE WALL. WE SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND INSPECTED THE DAMAGE. THE WINGTIP; A PLASTIC 1-PIECE CONSTRUCTION HAD BEEN DAMAGED. THE FO; ALSO AN A&P MECH WITH THE COMPANY VISUALLY INSPECTED AND FOUND LITTLE DAMAGE. PRIOR TO THIS FLT; I HAD RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM MY TRAINING CAPT WITH REGARD TO SEVERAL LATE DELIVERIES AND UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS. IN ADDITION; CELL PHONE COVERAGE IS LIMITED IN MEXICO; AND I FELT IT WAS BEST TO PROCEED WITH THE 6 MIN FLT TO EL PASO AND ADDRESS THE PROB THERE. THE RETURN FLT TO EL PASO WAS UNEVENTFUL; AFTER CHKING THE STEERING AND BRAKING OF THE ACFT. WE CLRED CUSTOMS AND I NOTIFIED THE COMPANY DIRECTOR OF MAINT; DIRECTOR OF OPS; AND TRAINING CAPT OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS WRITTEN UP; AND WE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER ACFT TO CONTINUE THE FLT. I FELT PRESSURED TO COMPLETE THE SHORT FLT; AS WELL AS HAVING AN A&P MECH INSPECT THE DAMAGE AND ASSESS IT AS OK FOR FLT. IN DOING SO; I FAILED TO COMPLETE THE PAPERWORK CORRECTLY; AND WE SUBSEQUENTLY ARE NOW BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE FAA. MY ACTIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO DISCONTINUE THE FLT; AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. HOWEVER; IN VIEW OF THE LITTLE DAMAGE AND SHORT FLT; PLUS THE PRESSURE TO COMPLETE THE FLT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY; I DECIDED TO CONTINUE; WHICH IS IN BREACH OF FARS.

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.