Narrative:

Coming in from abc with ATIS information; I was asked to report a 3 mi left base to runway 29. When I reported my 3 mi left base; I was instructed to turn to downwind and my base would be called. I continued on an extended downwind. On the next call to me; I was instructed to follow a cessna ahead of me. I immediately saw my cessna traffic about 300 ft off my left wing; about 100 ft below and less than 50 ft ahead of me. I widened out and stayed a little higher than my traffic and continued downwind. Then my traffic began turning base and I started to turn a modified left base to widen out more for additional spacing; keeping an eye on my traffic. There were numerous aircraft in the pattern and the aircraft now on final was the one ahead of my cessna traffic and I was following in the third position. The first aircraft on final was instructed to go around. The cessna I was following was #2 on final and was given a low approach and at that time I reported a 3 mi final and was told to keep up my speed and given clearance to land. I was coming in fast as requested; without flaps and after touchdown; was instructed to turn off at the first taxiway (taxiway G). I rolled fast up to taxiway G; rolling close to the left edge of the runway and turned left onto taxiway G immediately; using full left rudder and left brake and found my left foot going very low and getting a left turn onto taxiway G only at 45 degrees; not 90 degrees as needed. I realized that my left brake was not functioning normally and that my left turn had occurred mainly with 'rudder authority/authorized;' which was now over given my reduced speed and reduced power. To maintain the safety of my passenger and aircraft and avoid an incident; I kicked full right rudder with hard right brake and a burst of power; making a fast; tight (with the right wheel locked) right 360 degree turn on taxiway G to avoid going off the taxiway. As I made that turn; I saw a small jet over the runway; close to touchdown; and heard a controller order that aircraft to go around; as I continued on taxiway G; heading to the hold line. I understand this sequence being considered a possible 'pilot deviation' and believe the controller made the appropriate call; since anyone seeing this occur from a distance; on the taxiway; near the runway; would necessitate such a call. However; my aircraft was on the taxiway throughout the whole sequence and; therefore; was not creating any danger and certainly was not a 'runway incursion' and did not contribute to any possible 'loss of separation.' this sequence explained above was a situation where everyone was doing what is expected and appropriate to the circumstances. The pattern was crowded and the controllers were handling a lot of traffic; instructions were being changed and mitigating circumstances were present requiring appropriate action to maintain the safety of all involved; avoid an incursion and maintain separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172'S L BRAKE FAILED WHILE MAKING A L RWY EXIT AT HIGH SPD FORCING THE PLT TO USE MAX R BRAKING TO MAKE A R 360 DEG TURN AND STAY ON THE TXWY.

Narrative: COMING IN FROM ABC WITH ATIS INFO; I WAS ASKED TO RPT A 3 MI L BASE TO RWY 29. WHEN I RPTED MY 3 MI L BASE; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO DOWNWIND AND MY BASE WOULD BE CALLED. I CONTINUED ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND. ON THE NEXT CALL TO ME; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW A CESSNA AHEAD OF ME. I IMMEDIATELY SAW MY CESSNA TFC ABOUT 300 FT OFF MY L WING; ABOUT 100 FT BELOW AND LESS THAN 50 FT AHEAD OF ME. I WIDENED OUT AND STAYED A LITTLE HIGHER THAN MY TFC AND CONTINUED DOWNWIND. THEN MY TFC BEGAN TURNING BASE AND I STARTED TO TURN A MODIFIED L BASE TO WIDEN OUT MORE FOR ADDITIONAL SPACING; KEEPING AN EYE ON MY TFC. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT IN THE PATTERN AND THE ACFT NOW ON FINAL WAS THE ONE AHEAD OF MY CESSNA TFC AND I WAS FOLLOWING IN THE THIRD POS. THE FIRST ACFT ON FINAL WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO AROUND. THE CESSNA I WAS FOLLOWING WAS #2 ON FINAL AND WAS GIVEN A LOW APCH AND AT THAT TIME I RPTED A 3 MI FINAL AND WAS TOLD TO KEEP UP MY SPD AND GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND. I WAS COMING IN FAST AS REQUESTED; WITHOUT FLAPS AND AFTER TOUCHDOWN; WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN OFF AT THE FIRST TXWY (TXWY G). I ROLLED FAST UP TO TXWY G; ROLLING CLOSE TO THE L EDGE OF THE RWY AND TURNED L ONTO TXWY G IMMEDIATELY; USING FULL L RUDDER AND L BRAKE AND FOUND MY L FOOT GOING VERY LOW AND GETTING A L TURN ONTO TXWY G ONLY AT 45 DEGS; NOT 90 DEGS AS NEEDED. I REALIZED THAT MY L BRAKE WAS NOT FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AND THAT MY L TURN HAD OCCURRED MAINLY WITH 'RUDDER AUTH;' WHICH WAS NOW OVER GIVEN MY REDUCED SPD AND REDUCED PWR. TO MAINTAIN THE SAFETY OF MY PAX AND ACFT AND AVOID AN INCIDENT; I KICKED FULL R RUDDER WITH HARD R BRAKE AND A BURST OF PWR; MAKING A FAST; TIGHT (WITH THE R WHEEL LOCKED) R 360 DEG TURN ON TXWY G TO AVOID GOING OFF THE TXWY. AS I MADE THAT TURN; I SAW A SMALL JET OVER THE RWY; CLOSE TO TOUCHDOWN; AND HEARD A CTLR ORDER THAT ACFT TO GO AROUND; AS I CONTINUED ON TXWY G; HEADING TO THE HOLD LINE. I UNDERSTAND THIS SEQUENCE BEING CONSIDERED A POSSIBLE 'PLTDEV' AND BELIEVE THE CTLR MADE THE APPROPRIATE CALL; SINCE ANYONE SEEING THIS OCCUR FROM A DISTANCE; ON THE TXWY; NEAR THE RWY; WOULD NECESSITATE SUCH A CALL. HOWEVER; MY ACFT WAS ON THE TXWY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SEQUENCE AND; THEREFORE; WAS NOT CREATING ANY DANGER AND CERTAINLY WAS NOT A 'RWY INCURSION' AND DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO ANY POSSIBLE 'LOSS OF SEPARATION.' THIS SEQUENCE EXPLAINED ABOVE WAS A SITUATION WHERE EVERYONE WAS DOING WHAT IS EXPECTED AND APPROPRIATE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE PATTERN WAS CROWDED AND THE CTLRS WERE HANDLING A LOT OF TFC; INSTRUCTIONS WERE BEING CHANGED AND MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES WERE PRESENT REQUIRING APPROPRIATE ACTION TO MAINTAIN THE SAFETY OF ALL INVOLVED; AVOID AN INCURSION AND MAINTAIN SEPARATION.

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.