Flight crew of metropolitan ii has nose gear steering fail while taxiing. The aircraft became stuck ...

Attributes
ACN	360328
Time
Date	199702
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ggw
State Reference	MT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SA-226 TC Metro II
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	360238
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The captain was taxiing the aircraft (a metropolitan ii) for departure in ggw, mt, and the nosewheel steering failed causing the aircraft to veer to the left. The left main tires became stuck in snow approximately 2 ft off the taxiway, and the nosewheels were on the edge of the taxiway in snow. The captain shut down the aircraft and we went outside to see if there were any taxi lights close, and to see if the nosewheels were turned. There were not any taxi lights that we hit, and the left propellers were above the snow. The captain then called for a tug to pull the aircraft out of the snow and back to the terminal. We went inside to call maintenance and our station agent said she heard our left propeller was bent, so the captain and I went out and inspected the propeller finding no bends or damage that we could see. The captain then restarted the left engine twice checking the nosewheel steering. It tested ok, so maintenance said we could continue the flight. We boarded the passenger and continued. On return to billings, mt, our maintenance checked the propeller finding the ends of the propellers on the left side to be bent, surprising both the captain and myself since we had checked them carefully, and had not found any damage that we could see. If this happens again I would have a mechanic check the propeller even if it appeared ok before flying the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF METRO II HAS NOSE GEAR STEERING FAIL WHILE TAXIING. THE ACFT BECAME STUCK IN SNOW. MAINT CHK PROVED ACFT OK TO FLY. ON RETURN FLT MAINT CHKED ACFT AGAIN AND FOUND PROP DAMAGE.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS TAXIING THE ACFT (A METRO II) FOR DEP IN GGW, MT, AND THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAILED CAUSING THE ACFT TO VEER TO THE L. THE L MAIN TIRES BECAME STUCK IN SNOW APPROX 2 FT OFF THE TXWY, AND THE NOSEWHEELS WERE ON THE EDGE OF THE TXWY IN SNOW. THE CAPT SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND WE WENT OUTSIDE TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY TAXI LIGHTS CLOSE, AND TO SEE IF THE NOSEWHEELS WERE TURNED. THERE WERE NOT ANY TAXI LIGHTS THAT WE HIT, AND THE L PROPS WERE ABOVE THE SNOW. THE CAPT THEN CALLED FOR A TUG TO PULL THE ACFT OUT OF THE SNOW AND BACK TO THE TERMINAL. WE WENT INSIDE TO CALL MAINT AND OUR STATION AGENT SAID SHE HEARD OUR L PROP WAS BENT, SO THE CAPT AND I WENT OUT AND INSPECTED THE PROP FINDING NO BENDS OR DAMAGE THAT WE COULD SEE. THE CAPT THEN RESTARTED THE L ENG TWICE CHKING THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING. IT TESTED OK, SO MAINT SAID WE COULD CONTINUE THE FLT. WE BOARDED THE PAX AND CONTINUED. ON RETURN TO BILLINGS, MT, OUR MAINT CHKED THE PROP FINDING THE ENDS OF THE PROPS ON THE L SIDE TO BE BENT, SURPRISING BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF SINCE WE HAD CHKED THEM CAREFULLY, AND HAD NOT FOUND ANY DAMAGE THAT WE COULD SEE. IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN I WOULD HAVE A MECH CHK THE PROP EVEN IF IT APPEARED OK BEFORE FLYING 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.

Flight crew of metropolitan ii has nose gear steering fail while taxiing. The aircraft became stuck in snow. Maintenance check proved aircraft ok to fly. On return flight maintenance checked aircraft again and found propeller damage.