Narrative:

We were returning to the united states from tnca. I was the PF. The captain taxied aircraft to runway 11 and steered the plane around the corner to line up with runway. Once aligned, I advanced the throttles and noticed it was requiring unusually more right rudder than normal. I immediately glanced at the power settings and everything was matched and even. I glanced at the windsock and observed the wind (16 KT) was a direct headwind. My feet were not on the brakes and as the speed increased, additional rudder was needed. I noticed the captain was still using the tiller to assist in steering. We then both acknowledged something was wrong. The captain performed the abort at approximately 90 KTS (V1 - 137) and we returned to the gate. The #1 brake was reported to be smoking after our abort using automatic brakes, so we requested a fire truck to take a look. The smoke quickly dissipated. Contract maintenance arrived and contacted our airline's maintenance department. Maintenance determined the brake was ok and not dragging. Later, maintenance and I noticed a hydraulic leak from a nose gear steering actuator. They counted the drops per min and it was within limits. After additional maintenance checks, which proved satisfactory, our maintenance department asked us to perform a low speed simulated takeoff on the runway. After a very thorough control check, everything checked out with normal rudder inputs. Maintenance decided some valve may have been slow to open. After everyone was satisfied with all the checks, contract maintenance signed the logbook and we departed without any problems. Upon landing, rudder control was still normal. I believe the steering actuator may have been the cause. I do not know if any additional maintenance was performed when we returned, but I hope there is a time limit on repairing/replacing the actuator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 REJECTED TKOF AT 90 KTS DUE TO EXCESS RUDDER AND TILLER STEERING INPUTS TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL. CAUSE UNKNOWN.

Narrative: WE WERE RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES FROM TNCA. I WAS THE PF. THE CAPT TAXIED ACFT TO RWY 11 AND STEERED THE PLANE AROUND THE CORNER TO LINE UP WITH RWY. ONCE ALIGNED, I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES AND NOTICED IT WAS REQUIRING UNUSUALLY MORE R RUDDER THAN NORMAL. I IMMEDIATELY GLANCED AT THE PWR SETTINGS AND EVERYTHING WAS MATCHED AND EVEN. I GLANCED AT THE WINDSOCK AND OBSERVED THE WIND (16 KT) WAS A DIRECT HEADWIND. MY FEET WERE NOT ON THE BRAKES AND AS THE SPD INCREASED, ADDITIONAL RUDDER WAS NEEDED. I NOTICED THE CAPT WAS STILL USING THE TILLER TO ASSIST IN STEERING. WE THEN BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THE CAPT PERFORMED THE ABORT AT APPROX 90 KTS (V1 - 137) AND WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. THE #1 BRAKE WAS RPTED TO BE SMOKING AFTER OUR ABORT USING AUTOMATIC BRAKES, SO WE REQUESTED A FIRE TRUCK TO TAKE A LOOK. THE SMOKE QUICKLY DISSIPATED. CONTRACT MAINT ARRIVED AND CONTACTED OUR AIRLINE'S MAINT DEPT. MAINT DETERMINED THE BRAKE WAS OK AND NOT DRAGGING. LATER, MAINT AND I NOTICED A HYD LEAK FROM A NOSE GEAR STEERING ACTUATOR. THEY COUNTED THE DROPS PER MIN AND IT WAS WITHIN LIMITS. AFTER ADDITIONAL MAINT CHKS, WHICH PROVED SATISFACTORY, OUR MAINT DEPT ASKED US TO PERFORM A LOW SPD SIMULATED TKOF ON THE RWY. AFTER A VERY THOROUGH CTL CHK, EVERYTHING CHKED OUT WITH NORMAL RUDDER INPUTS. MAINT DECIDED SOME VALVE MAY HAVE BEEN SLOW TO OPEN. AFTER EVERYONE WAS SATISFIED WITH ALL THE CHKS, CONTRACT MAINT SIGNED THE LOGBOOK AND WE DEPARTED WITHOUT ANY PROBS. UPON LNDG, RUDDER CTL WAS STILL NORMAL. I BELIEVE THE STEERING ACTUATOR MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE. I DO NOT KNOW IF ANY ADDITIONAL MAINT WAS PERFORMED WHEN WE RETURNED, BUT I HOPE THERE IS A TIME LIMIT ON REPAIRING/REPLACING THE ACTUATOR.

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.