Narrative:

While taxiing out to runway 13 in mcallen, the tiller NWS became intermittent. The aircraft was stopped on the taxiway near the end of runway 13. I had no visual indications except that the green light on the NWS would go off and on. I looked up the NWS in the MEL book and in interpreted it to mean that the NWS system could be MEL'ed. I complied with the MEL by asking the first officer to pull the circuit breaker, which he pointed to and asked if that was the right one, and I said yes. I made an entry into the logbook and continued the flight per MEL. (This was my first maintenance write-up in a logbook as a new captain.) in retrospect, especially in light of the problems with the NWS, I should have taxied back in and talked to maintenance about the problem, but thought that I had understood what was required. The takeoff and flight were accomplished by the first officer and were normal until the gear was lowered on approach into san antonio. We had a nose gear down light unsafe condition. I checked the light bulb, which was working and recycled the gear which that time, gave us a normal indication. San antonio is basically using only 1 runway for air carrier operations, runway 21/3. The winds were 160 at 18, and we were landing on runway 21. The first officer's landing and rollout were normal until he began to turn to the right off the runway at taxiway east. The aircraft swerved hard to the right and could not be stopped with maximum braking and reverse power being applied. The aircraft came to a stop with the nose gear appearing to be off the taxiway and possibly in the grass. The tower called and said they had an aircraft on final and were we clear of the hold line on the taxiway. I replied that we were not and they asked if we would be able to clear. I said that I would try. Knowing that the airport was down to a single runway operations and there were aircraft on final, I felt pressure to make an attempt to free the aircraft while also taking into account the clrncs and stability of the aircraft's position. I made a brief attempt to move the aircraft back onto the taxiway by using reverse. I did this only momentarily and it did not move the aircraft. Then when the tower asked again if we would be able to clear, I attempted to move forward to be able to turn left back onto the taxiway, but the left main stopped in soft dirt and the attempt was abandoned. I notified the tower and sat operations and shut down the engines. I know that it was a mistake to attempt to move the aircraft, but I think that it was the stress of the situation and the pressure that I felt from the tower, to at least make an attempt to clear the runway for not shut down the airport if I could do so without endangering anyone or causing any damage to the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT HAS NOSEWHEEL STEERING PROB. LOSS OF CTL, ENDS UP ON GRASS OFF TXWY.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT TO RWY 13 IN MCALLEN, THE TILLER NWS BECAME INTERMITTENT. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED ON THE TXWY NEAR THE END OF RWY 13. I HAD NO VISUAL INDICATIONS EXCEPT THAT THE GREEN LIGHT ON THE NWS WOULD GO OFF AND ON. I LOOKED UP THE NWS IN THE MEL BOOK AND IN INTERPRETED IT TO MEAN THAT THE NWS SYS COULD BE MEL'ED. I COMPLIED WITH THE MEL BY ASKING THE FO TO PULL THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, WHICH HE POINTED TO AND ASKED IF THAT WAS THE RIGHT ONE, AND I SAID YES. I MADE AN ENTRY INTO THE LOGBOOK AND CONTINUED THE FLT PER MEL. (THIS WAS MY FIRST MAINT WRITE-UP IN A LOGBOOK AS A NEW CAPT.) IN RETROSPECT, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE PROBS WITH THE NWS, I SHOULD HAVE TAXIED BACK IN AND TALKED TO MAINT ABOUT THE PROB, BUT THOUGHT THAT I HAD UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS REQUIRED. THE TKOF AND FLT WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE FO AND WERE NORMAL UNTIL THE GEAR WAS LOWERED ON APCH INTO SAN ANTONIO. WE HAD A NOSE GEAR DOWN LIGHT UNSAFE CONDITION. I CHKED THE LIGHT BULB, WHICH WAS WORKING AND RECYCLED THE GEAR WHICH THAT TIME, GAVE US A NORMAL INDICATION. SAN ANTONIO IS BASICALLY USING ONLY 1 RWY FOR ACR OPS, RWY 21/3. THE WINDS WERE 160 AT 18, AND WE WERE LNDG ON RWY 21. THE FO'S LNDG AND ROLLOUT WERE NORMAL UNTIL HE BEGAN TO TURN TO THE R OFF THE RWY AT TXWY E. THE ACFT SWERVED HARD TO THE R AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED WITH MAX BRAKING AND REVERSE PWR BEING APPLIED. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP WITH THE NOSE GEAR APPEARING TO BE OFF THE TXWY AND POSSIBLY IN THE GRASS. THE TWR CALLED AND SAID THEY HAD AN ACFT ON FINAL AND WERE WE CLR OF THE HOLD LINE ON THE TXWY. I REPLIED THAT WE WERE NOT AND THEY ASKED IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CLR. I SAID THAT I WOULD TRY. KNOWING THAT THE ARPT WAS DOWN TO A SINGLE RWY OPS AND THERE WERE ACFT ON FINAL, I FELT PRESSURE TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO FREE THE ACFT WHILE ALSO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE CLRNCS AND STABILITY OF THE ACFT'S POS. I MADE A BRIEF ATTEMPT TO MOVE THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE TXWY BY USING REVERSE. I DID THIS ONLY MOMENTARILY AND IT DID NOT MOVE THE ACFT. THEN WHEN THE TWR ASKED AGAIN IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CLR, I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO TURN L BACK ONTO THE TXWY, BUT THE L MAIN STOPPED IN SOFT DIRT AND THE ATTEMPT WAS ABANDONED. I NOTIFIED THE TWR AND SAT OPS AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. I KNOW THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE TO ATTEMPT TO MOVE THE ACFT, BUT I THINK THAT IT WAS THE STRESS OF THE SIT AND THE PRESSURE THAT I FELT FROM THE TWR, TO AT LEAST MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO CLR THE RWY FOR NOT SHUT DOWN THE ARPT IF I COULD DO SO WITHOUT ENDANGERING ANYONE OR CAUSING ANY DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

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.