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.

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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.