What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-5) Pilot is a flight instructor employed by harbor airlines parent company and is not a harbor airlines line pilot. He has been flight checked by harbor airlines personnel and is authorized only to ferry harbor airlines aircraft. On December 20, 1998, the pilot was assigned to ferry an aircraft that had come out of maintenance. The aircraft responded normally as the pilot taxied from the ramp onto the parallel taxiway. As the aircraft rolled down the taxiway the pilot noted a problem with the nose wheel steering. He stopped the aircraft and contacted harbor airlines flight management by radio. Flight management had no suggestions, so pilot elected to return to the ramp. The pilot taxied forward and made a turn to the left to return to the ramp. During the turn the aircraft brakes failed and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control and the aircraft rolled off the taxiway onto the grass where a propeller struck a taxiway light.
As the FAA filed it
(-5) PILOT IS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR EMPLOYED BY HARBOR AIRLINES PARENT COMPANY AND IS NOT A HARBOR AIRLINES LINE PILOT. HE HAS BEEN FLIGHT CHECKED BY HARBOR AIRLINES PERSONNEL AND IS AUTHORIZED ONLY TO FERRY HARBOR AIRLINES AIRCRAFT. ON DECEMBER 20, 1998, THE PILOT WAS ASSIGNED TO FERRY AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAD COME OUT OF MAINTENANCE. THE AIRCRAFT RESPONDED NORMALLY AS THE PILOT TAXIED FROM THE RAMP ONTO THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. AS THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED DOWN THE TAXIWAY THE PILOT NOTED A PROBLEM WITH THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING. HE STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT AND CONTACTED HARBOR AIRLINES FLIGHT MANAGEMENT BY RADIO. FLIGHT MANAGEMENT HAD NO SUGGESTIONS, SO PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE RAMP. THE PILOT TAXIED FORWARD AND MADE A TURN TO THE LEFT TO RETURN TO THE RAMP. DURING THE TURN THE AIRCRAFT BRAKES FAILED AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OFF THE TAXIWAY ONTO THE GRASS WHERE A PROPELLER STRUCK A TAXIWAY LIGHT.