Narrative:

While on flight schedule, performing my first leg, san juan to st croix flight, after completing the necessary checks, flight was cleared for takeoff on runway 8. The copilot was flying the aircraft. I called 70 KTS the normal call. We then experienced a light vibration of which seemed insignificant, until rotation where it stopped. While climbing through 25-75 ft I noticed that the nose wheel steering handle turned to the right and stopped in the full right position. We continued the climb. At 400 ft I retracted the glaps, 1000 ft set climb power and performed the after takeoff checklist. After being switched from tower to departure while climbing to 6000 ft, I turned on the hydraulic pump to center the nose wheel. It was at this point I noticed the nose wheel would not center. I checked the hydraulic pump pressure and it was normal 2000 psi. I then checked the emergency checklist and there were no instructions. I called moc and advised them of the problem. They asked if I had performed all the checklists and I told them I had and that I was going to return to san juan for a low pass over the tower to check if the nose wheel was straight or not. We then turned towards san juan, I then took over the flying duties and my copilot briefed the passengers on what was going on and emergency procedures. We over flew the tower and were told that the nose wheel was 15-20 degrees right. We left the traffic pattern and orbited north of san juan. I turned the aircraft back over to the copilot, he maintained 2000 ft and complied with ATC. I was speaking with company and captain pilot supervisor X. Captain X advised me to let the hydraulics cool for 15 mins. I told him we had operated the system normally and that it had been off for at least 15 mins. He told me to use the manual hand pump, so I took over the aircraft control and my copilot used the manual pump. It gave us a normal 2000 psi, but the nose wheel steering handle would not center. We tried the electric pump once again but it still would not center. Captain X and captain Y then instructed me to make another low pass over runway 8 so they could see the nose wheel. We then briefed the passengers again and performed the necessary checks and over flew runway 8 for the second time. We then went back and orbited north. I turned the aircraft back over to the copilot and spoke to company. They advised me that the nose wheel was indeed 20-25 degrees to the right. I advised them I would hold north of san juan at 2000 ft to burn off fuel. I advised the passengers of the situation and that we would be making an emergency landing. After burning fuel we advised company, and approach we were inbound for an emergency landing to have the emergency crews standing by for runway 8. I then took control of the aircraft for the final approach. The copilot and myself had talked over our plan of action prior to the approach. We were then cleared to land. We performed the normal checklists and on short final isolated all non essential electrics. I flared the aircraft and held the nose wheel off the ground to slow the airspeed as much as possible. The copilot was backing me up with back pressure and crosswind technique on the controls. When the nose touched down I had my left hand on the nose wheel steering and my right hand on the power levels. The aircraft had a right turning tendency, I was braking heavy and using differential reverse. The aircraft felt as if it wanted to turn over but the differential reverse helped correct the situation. We went from the runway right and came to a stop in the grass between runway 8 and the taxiway. My copilot and I performed a rapid engine shut down of both engines and then the normal checklists. After the shutdown the passengers were already evacuating the aircraft. There was no damage encountered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT'S NOSE WHEEL STUCK IN HARD OVER CASTER. MANDATES A RETURN LAND WITH EMER GND VEHICLES CALLED OUT FOR LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE ON FLT SCHEDULE, PERFORMING MY FIRST LEG, SAN JUAN TO ST CROIX FLT, AFTER COMPLETING THE NECESSARY CHKS, FLT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 8. THE COPLT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. I CALLED 70 KTS THE NORMAL CALL. WE THEN EXPERIENCED A LIGHT VIBRATION OF WHICH SEEMED INSIGNIFICANT, UNTIL ROTATION WHERE IT STOPPED. WHILE CLBING THROUGH 25-75 FT I NOTICED THAT THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING HANDLE TURNED TO THE R AND STOPPED IN THE FULL R POS. WE CONTINUED THE CLB. AT 400 FT I RETRACTED THE GLAPS, 1000 FT SET CLB PWR AND PERFORMED THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. AFTER BEING SWITCHED FROM TWR TO DEP WHILE CLBING TO 6000 FT, I TURNED ON THE HYD PUMP TO CTR THE NOSE WHEEL. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I NOTICED THE NOSE WHEEL WOULD NOT CTR. I CHKED THE HYD PUMP PRESSURE AND IT WAS NORMAL 2000 PSI. I THEN CHKED THE EMER CHKLIST AND THERE WERE NO INSTRUCTIONS. I CALLED MOC AND ADVISED THEM OF THE PROBLEM. THEY ASKED IF I HAD PERFORMED ALL THE CHKLISTS AND I TOLD THEM I HAD AND THAT I WAS GOING TO RETURN TO SAN JUAN FOR A LOW PASS OVER THE TWR TO CHK IF THE NOSE WHEEL WAS STRAIGHT OR NOT. WE THEN TURNED TOWARDS SAN JUAN, I THEN TOOK OVER THE FLYING DUTIES AND MY COPLT BRIEFED THE PAXS ON WHAT WAS GOING ON AND EMER PROCS. WE OVER FLEW THE TWR AND WERE TOLD THAT THE NOSE WHEEL WAS 15-20 DEGS R. WE LEFT THE TFC PATTERN AND ORBITED N OF SAN JUAN. I TURNED THE ACFT BACK OVER TO THE COPLT, HE MAINTAINED 2000 FT AND COMPLIED WITH ATC. I WAS SPEAKING WITH COMPANY AND CAPT PLT SUPVR X. CAPT X ADVISED ME TO LET THE HYDS COOL FOR 15 MINS. I TOLD HIM WE HAD OPERATED THE SYS NORMALLY AND THAT IT HAD BEEN OFF FOR AT LEAST 15 MINS. HE TOLD ME TO USE THE MANUAL HAND PUMP, SO I TOOK OVER THE ACFT CTL AND MY COPLT USED THE MANUAL PUMP. IT GAVE US A NORMAL 2000 PSI, BUT THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING HANDLE WOULD NOT CTR. WE TRIED THE ELECTRIC PUMP ONCE AGAIN BUT IT STILL WOULD NOT CTR. CAPT X AND CAPT Y THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE ANOTHER LOW PASS OVER RWY 8 SO THEY COULD SEE THE NOSE WHEEL. WE THEN BRIEFED THE PAXS AGAIN AND PERFORMED THE NECESSARY CHKS AND OVER FLEW RWY 8 FOR THE SECOND TIME. WE THEN WENT BACK AND ORBITED N. I TURNED THE ACFT BACK OVER TO THE COPLT AND SPOKE TO COMPANY. THEY ADVISED ME THAT THE NOSE WHEEL WAS INDEED 20-25 DEGS TO THE R. I ADVISED THEM I WOULD HOLD N OF SAN JUAN AT 2000 FT TO BURN OFF FUEL. I ADVISED THE PAXS OF THE SITUATION AND THAT WE WOULD BE MAKING AN EMER LNDG. AFTER BURNING FUEL WE ADVISED COMPANY, AND APCH WE WERE INBOUND FOR AN EMER LNDG TO HAVE THE EMER CREWS STANDING BY FOR RWY 8. I THEN TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT FOR THE FINAL APCH. THE COPLT AND MYSELF HAD TALKED OVER OUR PLAN OF ACTION PRIOR TO THE APCH. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO LAND. WE PERFORMED THE NORMAL CHKLISTS AND ON SHORT FINAL ISOLATED ALL NON ESSENTIAL ELECTRICS. I FLARED THE ACFT AND HELD THE NOSE WHEEL OFF THE GND TO SLOW THE AIRSPD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THE COPLT WAS BACKING ME UP WITH BACK PRESSURE AND XWIND TECHNIQUE ON THE CTLS. WHEN THE NOSE TOUCHED DOWN I HAD MY L HAND ON THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING AND MY R HAND ON THE PWR LEVELS. THE ACFT HAD A R TURNING TENDENCY, I WAS BRAKING HVY AND USING DIFFERENTIAL REVERSE. THE ACFT FELT AS IF IT WANTED TO TURN OVER BUT THE DIFFERENTIAL REVERSE HELPED CORRECT THE SITUATION. WE WENT FROM THE RWY R AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE GRASS BTWN RWY 8 AND THE TAXIWAY. MY COPLT AND I PERFORMED A RAPID ENG SHUT DOWN OF BOTH ENGS AND THEN THE NORMAL CHKLISTS. AFTER THE SHUTDOWN THE PAXS WERE ALREADY EVACUATING THE ACFT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE ENCOUNTERED.

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.