Nosewheel steering pin found missing after a multi-leg flight.

Attributes
ACN	489734
Time
Date	200010
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : spi.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	IAI1124/1124A/Westwind
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 119
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	489734
Person 2
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : mntnc 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Conducted flight in night visual conditions from spi-ocf-vnc-pie. Everything appeared normal except that steering on ground seemed a little tight at times. Later learned that nose gear pin had either been connected wrong or fell out during series of flts, damaged scissors, 1 tire and both inner wheel halves. Suggest an annunciator light if nose gear pin not installed correctly or red flag if disconnected. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was the PNF who said that the pin was installed at the first departure preflight inspection. His company normally does a thorough flight inspection at each stop. This flight had what he referred to as hot departures on the subsequent legs with passenger boarding and deplaning with the engines running so none was made. None of the departures required the use of a tug or the disconnect of the steering pin.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSEWHEEL STEERING PIN FOUND MISSING AFTER A MULTI-LEG FLT.

Narrative: CONDUCTED FLT IN NIGHT VISUAL CONDITIONS FROM SPI-OCF-VNC-PIE. EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL EXCEPT THAT STEERING ON GND SEEMED A LITTLE TIGHT AT TIMES. LATER LEARNED THAT NOSE GEAR PIN HAD EITHER BEEN CONNECTED WRONG OR FELL OUT DURING SERIES OF FLTS, DAMAGED SCISSORS, 1 TIRE AND BOTH INNER WHEEL HALVES. SUGGEST AN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT IF NOSE GEAR PIN NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY OR RED FLAG IF DISCONNECTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS THE PNF WHO SAID THAT THE PIN WAS INSTALLED AT THE FIRST DEP PREFLT INSPECTION. HIS COMPANY NORMALLY DOES A THOROUGH FLT INSPECTION AT EACH STOP. THIS FLT HAD WHAT HE REFERRED TO AS HOT DEPS ON THE SUBSEQUENT LEGS WITH PAX BOARDING AND DEPLANING WITH THE ENGS RUNNING SO NONE WAS MADE. NONE OF THE DEPS REQUIRED THE USE OF A TUG OR THE DISCONNECT OF THE STEERING PIN.

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.