Narrative:

I landed on runway 36R at tpa and on my rollout, I began braking and exchanged the tiller for my nosewheel steering. Upon doing so, the aircraft veered sharply left (nosewheel had to have gone full left). I tried to regain control with the tiller, but it would not respond so I disengaged and using differential braking and rudder inputs I was able to get control only after the left main had gone off the runway. We were doing about 60 KTS when I engaged the tiller. After stopping, the steering seemed to work again, so I got back on the runway and taxied to the ramp with neither ground nor tower saying anything. There was no aircraft or runway damage. Also, no injuries were reported. I grounded the aircraft and maintenance later found a problem with the nosegear feedback potentiometer. I submitted this report to document a potentially hazardous problem with the emb-120. We have another emb-120 that, as you taxi, the nosewheel for a split second at a time wants to turn left, however, this has not yet caused any problems except gray hair. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: to use the nosewheel steering, the captain must first push the tiller down into a detent, then turn the tiller to the right or left. The tiller has no function while in the 'up' position and can be moved to either side with no effect. In this incident, the aircraft immediately turned hard to the left as soon as the captain pushed the tiller into the detent but with no left turn commanded. The reporter's air carrier purchased or leased 2 brasilias from another air carrier. Both of these aircraft have had nose steering problems. Other aircraft in the fleet have had no such problems. An interesting sidelight: the aircraft went off the side of the runway in a cloud of dust and then back onto the runway very quickly. The ATCT was not ware of this until the flight crew called it be telephone. Fortunately the aircraft did not need any help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: I LANDED ON RWY 36R AT TPA AND ON MY ROLLOUT, I BEGAN BRAKING AND EXCHANGED THE TILLER FOR MY NOSEWHEEL STEERING. UPON DOING SO, THE ACFT VEERED SHARPLY L (NOSEWHEEL HAD TO HAVE GONE FULL L). I TRIED TO REGAIN CTL WITH THE TILLER, BUT IT WOULD NOT RESPOND SO I DISENGAGED AND USING DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING AND RUDDER INPUTS I WAS ABLE TO GET CTL ONLY AFTER THE L MAIN HAD GONE OFF THE RWY. WE WERE DOING ABOUT 60 KTS WHEN I ENGAGED THE TILLER. AFTER STOPPING, THE STEERING SEEMED TO WORK AGAIN, SO I GOT BACK ON THE RWY AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP WITH NEITHER GND NOR TWR SAYING ANYTHING. THERE WAS NO ACFT OR RWY DAMAGE. ALSO, NO INJURIES WERE RPTED. I GNDED THE ACFT AND MAINT LATER FOUND A PROB WITH THE NOSEGEAR FEEDBACK POTENTIOMETER. I SUBMITTED THIS RPT TO DOCUMENT A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS PROB WITH THE EMB-120. WE HAVE ANOTHER EMB-120 THAT, AS YOU TAXI, THE NOSEWHEEL FOR A SPLIT SECOND AT A TIME WANTS TO TURN L, HOWEVER, THIS HAS NOT YET CAUSED ANY PROBS EXCEPT GRAY HAIR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: TO USE THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING, THE CAPT MUST FIRST PUSH THE TILLER DOWN INTO A DETENT, THEN TURN THE TILLER TO THE R OR L. THE TILLER HAS NO FUNCTION WHILE IN THE 'UP' POS AND CAN BE MOVED TO EITHER SIDE WITH NO EFFECT. IN THIS INCIDENT, THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY TURNED HARD TO THE L AS SOON AS THE CAPT PUSHED THE TILLER INTO THE DETENT BUT WITH NO L TURN COMMANDED. THE RPTR'S ACR PURCHASED OR LEASED 2 BRASILIAS FROM ANOTHER ACR. BOTH OF THESE ACFT HAVE HAD NOSE STEERING PROBS. OTHER ACFT IN THE FLEET HAVE HAD NO SUCH PROBS. AN INTERESTING SIDELIGHT: THE ACFT WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY IN A CLOUD OF DUST AND THEN BACK ONTO THE RWY VERY QUICKLY. THE ATCT WAS NOT WARE OF THIS UNTIL THE FLC CALLED IT BE TELEPHONE. FORTUNATELY THE ACFT DID NOT NEED ANY HELP.

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.