Flight crew of corporate mdt jet discovers nosewheel problem when retracting gear after takeoff. The...

Attributes
ACN	142602
Time
Date	199004
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hou
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9700 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	142602
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Very experienced lineman corrected nosewheel scissors. I did my preflight counter clockwise, copilot performs his clockwise. Our only discrepancy was excess hydraulic fluid on lower part of strut (nose gear). We both inspected the area and determined strut was weeping. Normal taxi out at 95 KTS. The steering seemed stiff. Copilot called 100 KTS and I came off steering took the yoke and completed takeoff normally. At positive rate called gear up. As nose gear doors closed, I heard metallic bang. Copilot noticed a pressurization problem and tried to troubleshoot it. I told him we had an additional problem. We discussed hydraulic leak, stiffness in steering, banging noise on retraction and pressurization problem. We discussed options and decided we would rather have plenty of fuel to troubleshoot with and a long wide runway at iah rather than our short narrow strip at pdk (our destination). We climbed to 20000' and put gear down, got 3 green. Discussed more possibilities. Called lockheed tech rep of 25+ yrs, got a few ideas nothing definitive. Called our recurrency instrument and discussed a few more ideas. Descended to 10000', depressurized, opened up floor, inspected hole and observed nose gear. Moved steering wheel in system 1 and 2. No movement but the nose gear is tracked straight and we can see no hydraulic fluid leak. Because some mdts have experienced a nosewheel steering failure that causes nosewheel to go to extreme left or right on T/D, we decided to assume that this could happen on T/D and declared an emergency. I briefed passengers for a worst case and we proceeded to iah. On landing, I held the nose off until 90 KTS and controled steering with rudder and brakes. Upon reaching the ramp we found the scissor links not connected. The pin was through the top link and evidently laid on the bottom link. Is it possible that 3 guys with 60 plus yrs of experience could miss this or did someone play a cruel joke after our preflts?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF CORPORATE MDT JET DISCOVERS NOSEWHEEL PROBLEM WHEN RETRACTING GEAR AFTER TKOF. THE RETURN TO LAND AT IAH AND FOUND THAT THE SCISSORS PIN ON THE NOSE GEAR HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY INSERTED.

Narrative: VERY EXPERIENCED LINEMAN CORRECTED NOSEWHEEL SCISSORS. I DID MY PREFLT COUNTER CLOCKWISE, COPLT PERFORMS HIS CLOCKWISE. OUR ONLY DISCREPANCY WAS EXCESS HYDRAULIC FLUID ON LOWER PART OF STRUT (NOSE GEAR). WE BOTH INSPECTED THE AREA AND DETERMINED STRUT WAS WEEPING. NORMAL TAXI OUT AT 95 KTS. THE STEERING SEEMED STIFF. COPLT CALLED 100 KTS AND I CAME OFF STEERING TOOK THE YOKE AND COMPLETED TKOF NORMALLY. AT POSITIVE RATE CALLED GEAR UP. AS NOSE GEAR DOORS CLOSED, I HEARD METALLIC BANG. COPLT NOTICED A PRESSURIZATION PROB AND TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT IT. I TOLD HIM WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL PROB. WE DISCUSSED HYDRAULIC LEAK, STIFFNESS IN STEERING, BANGING NOISE ON RETRACTION AND PRESSURIZATION PROB. WE DISCUSSED OPTIONS AND DECIDED WE WOULD RATHER HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL TO TROUBLESHOOT WITH AND A LONG WIDE RWY AT IAH RATHER THAN OUR SHORT NARROW STRIP AT PDK (OUR DEST). WE CLBED TO 20000' AND PUT GEAR DOWN, GOT 3 GREEN. DISCUSSED MORE POSSIBILITIES. CALLED LOCKHEED TECH REP OF 25+ YRS, GOT A FEW IDEAS NOTHING DEFINITIVE. CALLED OUR RECURRENCY INSTR AND DISCUSSED A FEW MORE IDEAS. DSNDED TO 10000', DEPRESSURIZED, OPENED UP FLOOR, INSPECTED HOLE AND OBSERVED NOSE GEAR. MOVED STEERING WHEEL IN SYS 1 AND 2. NO MOVEMENT BUT THE NOSE GEAR IS TRACKED STRAIGHT AND WE CAN SEE NO HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAK. BECAUSE SOME MDTS HAVE EXPERIENCED A NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAILURE THAT CAUSES NOSEWHEEL TO GO TO EXTREME L OR R ON T/D, WE DECIDED TO ASSUME THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN ON T/D AND DECLARED AN EMER. I BRIEFED PAXS FOR A WORST CASE AND WE PROCEEDED TO IAH. ON LNDG, I HELD THE NOSE OFF UNTIL 90 KTS AND CTLED STEERING WITH RUDDER AND BRAKES. UPON REACHING THE RAMP WE FOUND THE SCISSOR LINKS NOT CONNECTED. THE PIN WAS THROUGH THE TOP LINK AND EVIDENTLY LAID ON THE BOTTOM LINK. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT 3 GUYS WITH 60 PLUS YRS OF EXPERIENCE COULD MISS THIS OR DID SOMEONE PLAY A CRUEL JOKE AFTER OUR PREFLTS?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Flight crew of corporate mdt jet discovers nosewheel problem when retracting gear after takeoff. The return to land at iah and found that the scissors pin on the nose gear had been improperly inserted.