Small aircraft pilot lost control of the same aircraft 2 days in a row. Aircraft veered to the right...

Attributes
ACN	408420
Time
Date	199807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : boi
State Reference	ID
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : boi
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 1150 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	408420
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft was in a normal landing position, with 4 passenger plus baggage on 1 hour flight in smooth, clear conditions. Aircraft was cleared to land, runway 10L at boise by boise tower. Normal flare was initiated and at nosewheel touchdown aircraft radically and abruptly veered to the right. Full brakes were applied and aircraft departed runway and did an almost 360 degree turn in the dirt and came to rest facing the runway. The plane was still running and I was alerted to taxi to the terminal and told to call the tower (from a land line phone). There were no injuries, no damage to the aircraft nor any damage to the runway environment. Close inspection of the aircraft did not reveal anything broken or any direct connection, such as blown tire, broken cables, etc. Speculation was that nose gear may have been cocked to the right due to passenger pushing on right rudder at touchdown. I know that I did not have right rudder trimmed in, nor did I step on right brake at touchdown. Plane was flown back to home base with 2 lndgs without incident. New brake pads and tires were installed, but no work was done on nose strut. Also, plane was flown in back-country airstrips and the oleo strut was kept highly inflated. Supplemental information from acn 408428: thorough inspection and testing of nose strut assembly revealed a possible problem with the nose strut bungee system, but was not totally conclusive. Aircraft was flown back to home base with a ferry permit and maintenance was performed. At touchdown, no brakes were being applied, trim controls were in neutral position and rollout was on the centerline. Pilot feels that nose gear (strut) was striking out of centerline, combined with excess air pressure in strut, caused situation where rudder inputs were useless on the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LOST CTL OF THE SAME ACFT 2 DAYS IN A ROW. ACFT VEERED TO THE R AFTER NOSEWHEEL TOUCHDOWN. ACFT DEPARTED THE RWY.

Narrative: ACFT WAS IN A NORMAL LNDG POS, WITH 4 PAX PLUS BAGGAGE ON 1 HR FLT IN SMOOTH, CLR CONDITIONS. ACFT WAS CLRED TO LAND, RWY 10L AT BOISE BY BOISE TWR. NORMAL FLARE WAS INITIATED AND AT NOSEWHEEL TOUCHDOWN ACFT RADICALLY AND ABRUPTLY VEERED TO THE R. FULL BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND ACFT DEPARTED RWY AND DID AN ALMOST 360 DEG TURN IN THE DIRT AND CAME TO REST FACING THE RWY. THE PLANE WAS STILL RUNNING AND I WAS ALERTED TO TAXI TO THE TERMINAL AND TOLD TO CALL THE TWR (FROM A LAND LINE PHONE). THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT NOR ANY DAMAGE TO THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. CLOSE INSPECTION OF THE ACFT DID NOT REVEAL ANYTHING BROKEN OR ANY DIRECT CONNECTION, SUCH AS BLOWN TIRE, BROKEN CABLES, ETC. SPECULATION WAS THAT NOSE GEAR MAY HAVE BEEN COCKED TO THE R DUE TO PAX PUSHING ON R RUDDER AT TOUCHDOWN. I KNOW THAT I DID NOT HAVE R RUDDER TRIMMED IN, NOR DID I STEP ON R BRAKE AT TOUCHDOWN. PLANE WAS FLOWN BACK TO HOME BASE WITH 2 LNDGS WITHOUT INCIDENT. NEW BRAKE PADS AND TIRES WERE INSTALLED, BUT NO WORK WAS DONE ON NOSE STRUT. ALSO, PLANE WAS FLOWN IN BACK-COUNTRY AIRSTRIPS AND THE OLEO STRUT WAS KEPT HIGHLY INFLATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 408428: THOROUGH INSPECTION AND TESTING OF NOSE STRUT ASSEMBLY REVEALED A POSSIBLE PROB WITH THE NOSE STRUT BUNGEE SYS, BUT WAS NOT TOTALLY CONCLUSIVE. ACFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO HOME BASE WITH A FERRY PERMIT AND MAINT WAS PERFORMED. AT TOUCHDOWN, NO BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED, TRIM CTLS WERE IN NEUTRAL POS AND ROLLOUT WAS ON THE CTRLINE. PLT FEELS THAT NOSE GEAR (STRUT) WAS STRIKING OUT OF CTRLINE, COMBINED WITH EXCESS AIR PRESSURE IN STRUT, CAUSED SIT WHERE RUDDER INPUTS WERE USELESS ON THE GND.

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.

Small aircraft pilot lost control of the same aircraft 2 days in a row. Aircraft veered to the right after nosewheel touchdown. Aircraft departed the runway.