Nosewheel steering problem causes light transport to veer off runway during landing roll.

Attributes
ACN	257766
Time
Date	199311
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 2850 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	257766
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Upon landing rollout on runway 29R the first officer was flying and as the aircraft slowed down, the captain at 60 KTS took control of the aircraft and called for speed levers low. I proceeded to bring the speed levers back and in a matter of seconds the aircraft abruptly turned to the right. The captain used rudder and brakes to try to straighten the aircraft out. This wasn't working and were still in a sharp right turn. The captain switched the nosewheel steering off but it all happened too fast and we came to rest about 50-100 ft off the right side of runway 29R. Nobody was injured and it appears that no damage to the aircraft occurred. I believe the captain did the best job he could under these circumstances. The aircraft was out of control with no warning on the annunciator panel and manufacturer has to do something about the nosewheel steering on the light transport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said the nosewheel steering is not engaged during the early stages of the landing but is engaged when the speed levers are brought to the low position. He said it was strange, there was a 4-5 second delay after this action before the nosewheel gave a hard-over right turn and the aircraft left the runway. He said 2 wires were found dislodged and were the apparent cause of the problem. The captain had to take his left hand off the yoke and get to a toggle switch on his console to turn off the nosewheel steering. This is why he couldn't turn it off immediately. The nosewheel was found in the full right position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSEWHEEL STEERING PROB CAUSES LTT TO VEER OFF RWY DURING LNDG ROLL.

Narrative: UPON LNDG ROLLOUT ON RWY 29R THE FO WAS FLYING AND AS THE ACFT SLOWED DOWN, THE CAPT AT 60 KTS TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND CALLED FOR SPD LEVERS LOW. I PROCEEDED TO BRING THE SPD LEVERS BACK AND IN A MATTER OF SECONDS THE ACFT ABRUPTLY TURNED TO THE R. THE CAPT USED RUDDER AND BRAKES TO TRY TO STRAIGHTEN THE ACFT OUT. THIS WASN'T WORKING AND WERE STILL IN A SHARP R TURN. THE CAPT SWITCHED THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING OFF BUT IT ALL HAPPENED TOO FAST AND WE CAME TO REST ABOUT 50-100 FT OFF THE R SIDE OF RWY 29R. NOBODY WAS INJURED AND IT APPEARS THAT NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OCCURRED. I BELIEVE THE CAPT DID THE BEST JOB HE COULD UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ACFT WAS OUT OF CTL WITH NO WARNING ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL AND MANUFACTURER HAS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING ON THE LTT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING IS NOT ENGAGED DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE LNDG BUT IS ENGAGED WHEN THE SPD LEVERS ARE BROUGHT TO THE LOW POS. HE SAID IT WAS STRANGE, THERE WAS A 4-5 SECOND DELAY AFTER THIS ACTION BEFORE THE NOSEWHEEL GAVE A HARD-OVER R TURN AND THE ACFT LEFT THE RWY. HE SAID 2 WIRES WERE FOUND DISLODGED AND WERE THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE PROB. THE CAPT HAD TO TAKE HIS L HAND OFF THE YOKE AND GET TO A TOGGLE SWITCH ON HIS CONSOLE TO TURN OFF THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING. THIS IS WHY HE COULDN'T TURN IT OFF IMMEDIATELY. THE NOSEWHEEL WAS FOUND IN THE FULL R POS.

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.