SMA HAS NON FUNCTIONING L BRAKE DURING TAXI.

Narrative

IT WAS A VERY COLD MORNING (ABOUT 15 DEGS F; IF I RECALL CORRECTLY). I HAD COMPLETED MY PREFLT INSPECTION AND HAD BEGUN MY TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY. DURING THE TAXI; I NOTICED THAT THE L BRAKE ONLY WAS NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL WHEN THE TOE BRAKE WAS PRESSED. I NOTIFIED GND CTL OF MY PROB AND RETURNED TO THE RAMP SO I COULD TAXI FOR A WHILE IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROB WAS. DURING A SERIES OF TURNS I NOTICED THAT ANY ATTEMPT TO TURN TO THE L WAS IMPOSSIBLE. ANY ATTEMPT AT A TKOF OR A LNDG AT THIS POINT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT; ESPECIALLY IN A WIND CONDITION. I THOUGHT THAT THERE MIGHT BE ICE IN THE BRAKE OR WHEEL SYS SO I PARKED BACK AT THE FLT LINE AND CALLED ONE OF THE MECHS OVER. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD NO L BRAKE OR STEERING AND HE BEGAN TO WORK ON THE PROB. HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS WRONG SO THEY (A LOT OF THE MECHS) PULLED THE ACFT INTO THE HANGAR AND DIRECTED A HIGH-PWRED HEATER AT THE L MAIN WHEEL. THE CHIEF MECH GUESSED THAT THERE WAS ICE IN THE CTL BOX THAT CONTAINED THE BRAKE FLUID NEAR THE WHEEL. AFTER ABOUT AN HR; BRAKES WERE RESTORED WHEN THE ICE MELTED. HE DRAINED ALL OF THE FLUID OUT OF THE ENTIRE SYS WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I WASN'T GOING TO FLY. STEERING WAS NOT RECOVERED BY THE TIME I LEFT ABOUT 2 HRS LATER. A GLASS OF WATER ABOUT 8 OUNCES FULL WAS FILLED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE BLED. I DON'T KNOW IF THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY DESIGN PROBS MADE WORSE BY COLD WX OR BY POOR MAINT OF THE WHEEL BUSHINGS AND BRAKE SYS. THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF STEERING; AS FAR AS I KNOW; IS UNKNOWN. I THINK THE COLD WX WAS THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS SIT. THE LAST I KNEW; BRAKES HAD BEEN RESTORED; BUT STEERING TO THE L WAS NOT POSSIBLE. BOTH RUDDER PEDALS WERE INDICATING FULL DEFLECTION; BUT THE NOSE GEAR REFUSED TO MOVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS WAS NOT A DESIGN PROB AS HE FELT AT FIRST. MECHS WHO INSPECTED ACFT AFTER THAWING ICE FROM THE BRAKES BELIEVE THERE WAS A HARD LNDG PRIOR TO RPTR'S ATTEMPTED FLT. THE NOSE STRUT WAS BADLY BENT AND CONSEQUENTLY RESTR NOSEWHEEL STEERING. THE BRAKE PROB; HE FEELS; WAS DELAYED CHANGING OF BEARINGS AND LUBRICATION IN THE BRAKES. ANY CONDENSATION THAT FORMS WILL; OF COURSE; FREEZE; AT 17 DEGS; AND DID SO. VERY UNUSUAL CONDITION AND NOT DESIGN PROB.