Narrative:

After departure during the climb out, the captain noticed erratic indications from the hydraulic pumps and accumulators. We advised ATC we would like to return to stl but we would not be declaring an emergency at this time. The captain and I discussed a flaps zero landing and decided it would be best to extend the landing gear only. The captain called company and confirmed we had the performance for such a landing. On a 5 mi final for runway 30L, we attempted to extend the gear with no response. By this time both hydraulic pumps and brake accumulators were at zero. We advised ATC we had to break off the approach and needed to run through our checklists. We declared an emergency at this time. After running through the emergency gear extension checklist, the nose gear was not down. We requested a low approach so our ground personnel could give us a better indication on the status of the nose gear. We were informed that the gear doors were partially opened, but the gear was not down. We requested delay vectors again so we could consult with company, brief the passenger and burn off excess fuel. During this time the captain again attempted the emergency gear extension handle -- again it would not move until he put his full weight and forced the handle through 1 more cycle. This caused the nose gear to slam into position. We got the nose gear light but, at the same time, lost the cabin pressurization. We requested another fly-by at which time we were told the nose gear was down but turned 30 degrees to the left. After about 1 hour of troubleshooting in an attempt to straighten the nose gear, we determined it was time to land. There was only 700 pounds of fuel remaining. As a precaution, we treated the landing as if the nose gear would fail on touchdown and briefed the passenger accordingly. We moved passenger to the rear of the aircraft and landed with flaps zero degrees. On touchdown the nose centered and the aircraft came to a stop on the runway. We shut down and deplaned through the normal entry door. The passenger were brought to the terminal, the captain and I went to flight control, and the aircraft was towed to the maintenance hangar. After examining the aircraft it was determined that the nose gear steering actuator broke causing a complete loss of normal hydraulic fluid and failure of the nose gear steering and ctring functions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the nose gear steering actuator failed on takeoff roll. This caused the steering to go hard left. The nosewheel ctring cam was unable to overcome the failed steering system. The nosewheel was turned hard left during gear retraction and became jammed in the wheel well. Only by using great force on the emergency extension system were they able to get the nose gear down. This force caused the squat switch system to fail, and the aircraft thought it was on the ground. This caused the cabin outflow valve to open fully and depressurize the cabin. When the landing was accomplished the hydraulic system pressure was zero therefore there was no longer any pressure holding the nose gear cocked left. It centered in contact with the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BA32 CREW HAD MULTIPLE FAILURES. COMPLETE LOSS OF HYD SYS, UNABLE TO EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR HYDRAULICALLY, DIFFICULTY EXTENDING THE NOSE GEAR WITH THE EMER SYS, NOSE GEAR STEERING JAMMED IN HARD L TURN, PRESSURIZATION FAILURE.

Narrative: AFTER DEP DURING THE CLBOUT, THE CAPT NOTICED ERRATIC INDICATIONS FROM THE HYD PUMPS AND ACCUMULATORS. WE ADVISED ATC WE WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO STL BUT WE WOULD NOT BE DECLARING AN EMER AT THIS TIME. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED A FLAPS ZERO LNDG AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR ONLY. THE CAPT CALLED COMPANY AND CONFIRMED WE HAD THE PERFORMANCE FOR SUCH A LNDG. ON A 5 MI FINAL FOR RWY 30L, WE ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE GEAR WITH NO RESPONSE. BY THIS TIME BOTH HYD PUMPS AND BRAKE ACCUMULATORS WERE AT ZERO. WE ADVISED ATC WE HAD TO BREAK OFF THE APCH AND NEEDED TO RUN THROUGH OUR CHKLISTS. WE DECLARED AN EMER AT THIS TIME. AFTER RUNNING THROUGH THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION CHKLIST, THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. WE REQUESTED A LOW APCH SO OUR GND PERSONNEL COULD GIVE US A BETTER INDICATION ON THE STATUS OF THE NOSE GEAR. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE GEAR DOORS WERE PARTIALLY OPENED, BUT THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. WE REQUESTED DELAY VECTORS AGAIN SO WE COULD CONSULT WITH COMPANY, BRIEF THE PAX AND BURN OFF EXCESS FUEL. DURING THIS TIME THE CAPT AGAIN ATTEMPTED THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE -- AGAIN IT WOULD NOT MOVE UNTIL HE PUT HIS FULL WT AND FORCED THE HANDLE THROUGH 1 MORE CYCLE. THIS CAUSED THE NOSE GEAR TO SLAM INTO POS. WE GOT THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, LOST THE CABIN PRESSURIZATION. WE REQUESTED ANOTHER FLY-BY AT WHICH TIME WE WERE TOLD THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN BUT TURNED 30 DEGS TO THE L. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF TROUBLESHOOTING IN AN ATTEMPT TO STRAIGHTEN THE NOSE GEAR, WE DETERMINED IT WAS TIME TO LAND. THERE WAS ONLY 700 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING. AS A PRECAUTION, WE TREATED THE LNDG AS IF THE NOSE GEAR WOULD FAIL ON TOUCHDOWN AND BRIEFED THE PAX ACCORDINGLY. WE MOVED PAX TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT AND LANDED WITH FLAPS ZERO DEGS. ON TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE CTRED AND THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE RWY. WE SHUT DOWN AND DEPLANED THROUGH THE NORMAL ENTRY DOOR. THE PAX WERE BROUGHT TO THE TERMINAL, THE CAPT AND I WENT TO FLT CTL, AND THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE MAINT HANGAR. AFTER EXAMINING THE ACFT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE NOSE GEAR STEERING ACTUATOR BROKE CAUSING A COMPLETE LOSS OF NORMAL HYD FLUID AND FAILURE OF THE NOSE GEAR STEERING AND CTRING FUNCTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE NOSE GEAR STEERING ACTUATOR FAILED ON TKOF ROLL. THIS CAUSED THE STEERING TO GO HARD L. THE NOSEWHEEL CTRING CAM WAS UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE FAILED STEERING SYS. THE NOSEWHEEL WAS TURNED HARD L DURING GEAR RETRACTION AND BECAME JAMMED IN THE WHEEL WELL. ONLY BY USING GREAT FORCE ON THE EMER EXTENSION SYS WERE THEY ABLE TO GET THE NOSE GEAR DOWN. THIS FORCE CAUSED THE SQUAT SWITCH SYS TO FAIL, AND THE ACFT THOUGHT IT WAS ON THE GND. THIS CAUSED THE CABIN OUTFLOW VALVE TO OPEN FULLY AND DEPRESSURIZE THE CABIN. WHEN THE LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED THE HYD SYS PRESSURE WAS ZERO THEREFORE THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY PRESSURE HOLDING THE NOSE GEAR COCKED L. IT CTRED IN CONTACT WITH THE RWY.

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.