Narrative:

The triggering problem on this flight was a mechanical malfunction in the nose gear of our aircraft. A seal ruptured in the nose strut causing the oleo strut to collapse. The first indication of the problem was taxiing out. The nosewheel steering was real sluggish. Nose steering failures or partial failures are common in the learjet. In fact, all 4 pilots have had some sort of steering failure within the past month. Yet as a precaution we had one of the two sic jumpseaters get out of the aircraft to visually check the nose gear. This was to make sure that it didn't get turned 180 degrees while being towed. The very experienced and conscientious sic should have checked the strut inflation. For if the strut isn't inflated normally the gear won't center prior to retraction, which is exactly what ended up happening. This was the only CRM technique that was properly used on this flight and unfortunately it failed, but what really caused a near accident was a total breakdown in CRM. When the nosewheel wouldn't retract the PF-sic became overbearing and adamant about returning for an immediate landing. The rest of us didn't voice objections due to his greater experience, which was a great mistake for we were all very experienced and knowledgeable. Total we had approximately 15000 hours of learjet time between us. I can't speak for the others, but I know part of my failure to speak up was a factor of being a new captain flying with a senior one combined with only a couple of hours of sleep between duty days (poor hotel), not eating right and extreme stress outside of work (not a good combination). The end result was we ended up landing without a plan at a weight over landing weight with a cocked nose gear. Quick reactions and superior flying skill kept us out of the weeds when superior judgement and CRM skills would have prevented the situation. There was a very long conference between us four at the FBO afterwards. Lessons were learned and it is guaranteed that CRM will be a priority on my flight deck from here on out, also my sic has the understanding that I expect him to speak up and be proactive in the process.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR OF AN LTT FAILED TO RETRACT AFTER TKOF DUE TO A RUPTURED SEAL IN THE NOSEWHEEL STRUT.

Narrative: THE TRIGGERING PROB ON THIS FLT WAS A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION IN THE NOSE GEAR OF OUR ACFT. A SEAL RUPTURED IN THE NOSE STRUT CAUSING THE OLEO STRUT TO COLLAPSE. THE FIRST INDICATION OF THE PROB WAS TAXIING OUT. THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WAS REAL SLUGGISH. NOSE STEERING FAILURES OR PARTIAL FAILURES ARE COMMON IN THE LEARJET. IN FACT, ALL 4 PLTS HAVE HAD SOME SORT OF STEERING FAILURE WITHIN THE PAST MONTH. YET AS A PRECAUTION WE HAD ONE OF THE TWO SIC JUMPSEATERS GET OUT OF THE ACFT TO VISUALLY CHK THE NOSE GEAR. THIS WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DIDN'T GET TURNED 180 DEGS WHILE BEING TOWED. THE VERY EXPERIENCED AND CONSCIENTIOUS SIC SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE STRUT INFLATION. FOR IF THE STRUT ISN'T INFLATED NORMALLY THE GEAR WON'T CTR PRIOR TO RETRACTION, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING. THIS WAS THE ONLY CRM TECHNIQUE THAT WAS PROPERLY USED ON THIS FLT AND UNFORTUNATELY IT FAILED, BUT WHAT REALLY CAUSED A NEAR ACCIDENT WAS A TOTAL BREAKDOWN IN CRM. WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL WOULDN'T RETRACT THE PF-SIC BECAME OVERBEARING AND ADAMANT ABOUT RETURNING FOR AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. THE REST OF US DIDN'T VOICE OBJECTIONS DUE TO HIS GREATER EXPERIENCE, WHICH WAS A GREAT MISTAKE FOR WE WERE ALL VERY EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE. TOTAL WE HAD APPROX 15000 HRS OF LEARJET TIME BTWN US. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE OTHERS, BUT I KNOW PART OF MY FAILURE TO SPEAK UP WAS A FACTOR OF BEING A NEW CAPT FLYING WITH A SENIOR ONE COMBINED WITH ONLY A COUPLE OF HRS OF SLEEP BTWN DUTY DAYS (POOR HOTEL), NOT EATING RIGHT AND EXTREME STRESS OUTSIDE OF WORK (NOT A GOOD COMBINATION). THE END RESULT WAS WE ENDED UP LNDG WITHOUT A PLAN AT A WT OVER LNDG WT WITH A COCKED NOSE GEAR. QUICK REACTIONS AND SUPERIOR FLYING SKILL KEPT US OUT OF THE WEEDS WHEN SUPERIOR JUDGEMENT AND CRM SKILLS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE SIT. THERE WAS A VERY LONG CONFERENCE BTWN US FOUR AT THE FBO AFTERWARDS. LESSONS WERE LEARNED AND IT IS GUARANTEED THAT CRM WILL BE A PRIORITY ON MY FLT DECK FROM HERE ON OUT, ALSO MY SIC HAS THE UNDERSTANDING THAT I EXPECT HIM TO SPEAK UP AND BE PROACTIVE IN THE PROCESS.

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.