Narrative:

The aircraft had the nose steering system deferred as per the MEL. We had flown the aircraft 3 legs already that day. The first officer was flying the leg from los angeles to fresno. We had configured the aircraft in the landing confign at the outer marker. During the before landing checklist we both verified that the nose steering system was off. The aircraft touched down at approximately 105 KTS, the initial rollout was normal. At 60 KTS the first officer called for engine speeds to low. I reached for the speed levers to bring them to the low position and noticed the aircraft starting to veer to the right side of the runway. I then applied full left rudder, full left brake and tried to apply full left reverse but the aircraft was already stopped approximately 45' from the runway edge at approximately 70 degree from runway heading. There was no damage to the aircraft or any of its occupants. My initial feeling was that I had a possible brake failure, but the brakes appeared to work normal afterwards. We have had a number of aircraft leave the runway with the nose steering system deferred. When flying this aircraft with no nose steering I feel like I am going up to bat with one strike already against me. All it takes is one more problem and you have your second and third strikes right now. We are beginning to have a lot of pilots refuse to fly aircraft with this system deferred. I don't feel there was anything that I could have done to keep the aircraft on the runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that even though the system is deferred inoperative it is not disabled and in this case and he believes other cases as well the system appears to activate and in this case the aircraft left the runway without his being able to do anything to stop it. Reporter is an experienced captain and in fact is a check airman for this company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF ACFT CONTROL DURING LNDG ROLL RESULTED IN RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD THE NOSE STEERING SYSTEM DEFERRED AS PER THE MEL. WE HAD FLOWN THE ACFT 3 LEGS ALREADY THAT DAY. THE F/O WAS FLYING THE LEG FROM LOS ANGELES TO FRESNO. WE HAD CONFIGURED THE ACFT IN THE LNDG CONFIGN AT THE OUTER MARKER. DURING THE BEFORE LNDG CHECKLIST WE BOTH VERIFIED THAT THE NOSE STEERING SYSTEM WAS OFF. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROX 105 KTS, THE INITIAL ROLLOUT WAS NORMAL. AT 60 KTS THE F/O CALLED FOR ENGINE SPEEDS TO LOW. I REACHED FOR THE SPEED LEVERS TO BRING THEM TO THE LOW POSITION AND NOTICED THE ACFT STARTING TO VEER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. I THEN APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER, FULL LEFT BRAKE AND TRIED TO APPLY FULL LEFT REVERSE BUT THE ACFT WAS ALREADY STOPPED APPROX 45' FROM THE RWY EDGE AT APPROX 70 DEG FROM RWY HDG. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR ANY OF ITS OCCUPANTS. MY INITIAL FEELING WAS THAT I HAD A POSSIBLE BRAKE FAILURE, BUT THE BRAKES APPEARED TO WORK NORMAL AFTERWARDS. WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF ACFT LEAVE THE RWY WITH THE NOSE STEERING SYSTEM DEFERRED. WHEN FLYING THIS ACFT WITH NO NOSE STEERING I FEEL LIKE I AM GOING UP TO BAT WITH ONE STRIKE ALREADY AGAINST ME. ALL IT TAKES IS ONE MORE PROBLEM AND YOU HAVE YOUR SECOND AND THIRD STRIKES RIGHT NOW. WE ARE BEGINNING TO HAVE A LOT OF PLTS REFUSE TO FLY ACFT WITH THIS SYSTEM DEFERRED. I DON'T FEEL THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES THAT EVEN THOUGH THE SYSTEM IS DEFERRED INOP IT IS NOT DISABLED AND IN THIS CASE AND HE BELIEVES OTHER CASES AS WELL THE SYSTEM APPEARS TO ACTIVATE AND IN THIS CASE THE ACFT LEFT THE RWY WITHOUT HIS BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING TO STOP IT. REPORTER IS AN EXPERIENCED CAPT AND IN FACT IS A CHECK AIRMAN FOR THIS COMPANY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.