Narrative:

On departure from bgr to pwm, we had an unsafe gear light. We elected to lower gear and proceed to pwm with the gear down. Upon landing at pwm, everything seemed normal until the tower informed us that the nosewheel was cocked and smoking. When the aircraft slowed, it started turning hard left. We were able to keep the aircraft mainly on the runway, the nosewheel went off about 1 ft. In hindsight, I believe we missed a couple of opportunities to either avoid the incident or be more prepared for the cocked nose gear. The aircraft had been experiencing intermittent nose steering problems, but would never hard fail. The aircraft is certified to be operated without the nose steering system. Also, because we had 3 green lights, we assumed that the gear was normal. Again, in hindsight, we should have done a tower fly-by to confirm the position of the nose gear. Investigation of the aircraft revealed that there was a nose steering problem and a corrosion problem in the nose strut. The nose gear went into the gear well locked in a 30 degree left turn. Because there was damage to the gear door arms, the FAA was going to file an incident report. During discussion with the other crew member, I discovered his first class medical was obtained 13 months prior. This is in direct conflict with SOP for our company. In the future, I will always be aware of the PF's medical status. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that maintenance found corrosion on the nose gear ctring cam that caused it to stick and not center properly after takeoff and the strut fully extending prior to retraction. He added that the other crew member's certificate exceeding currency was revealed internally and not outside the company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEAR 60 FLC LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL OF ACFT DURING LNDG RESULTING IN GOING OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY DAMAGING THE TIRE AND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM BGR TO PWM, WE HAD AN UNSAFE GEAR LIGHT. WE ELECTED TO LOWER GEAR AND PROCEED TO PWM WITH THE GEAR DOWN. UPON LNDG AT PWM, EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL THE TWR INFORMED US THAT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS COCKED AND SMOKING. WHEN THE ACFT SLOWED, IT STARTED TURNING HARD L. WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE ACFT MAINLY ON THE RWY, THE NOSEWHEEL WENT OFF ABOUT 1 FT. IN HINDSIGHT, I BELIEVE WE MISSED A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO EITHER AVOID THE INCIDENT OR BE MORE PREPARED FOR THE COCKED NOSE GEAR. THE ACFT HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT NOSE STEERING PROBS, BUT WOULD NEVER HARD FAIL. THE ACFT IS CERTIFIED TO BE OPERATED WITHOUT THE NOSE STEERING SYS. ALSO, BECAUSE WE HAD 3 GREEN LIGHTS, WE ASSUMED THAT THE GEAR WAS NORMAL. AGAIN, IN HINDSIGHT, WE SHOULD HAVE DONE A TWR FLY-BY TO CONFIRM THE POS OF THE NOSE GEAR. INVESTIGATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THERE WAS A NOSE STEERING PROB AND A CORROSION PROB IN THE NOSE STRUT. THE NOSE GEAR WENT INTO THE GEAR WELL LOCKED IN A 30 DEG L TURN. BECAUSE THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE GEAR DOOR ARMS, THE FAA WAS GOING TO FILE AN INCIDENT RPT. DURING DISCUSSION WITH THE OTHER CREW MEMBER, I DISCOVERED HIS FIRST CLASS MEDICAL WAS OBTAINED 13 MONTHS PRIOR. THIS IS IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH SOP FOR OUR COMPANY. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THE PF'S MEDICAL STATUS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT MAINT FOUND CORROSION ON THE NOSE GEAR CTRING CAM THAT CAUSED IT TO STICK AND NOT CTR PROPERLY AFTER TKOF AND THE STRUT FULLY EXTENDING PRIOR TO RETRACTION. HE ADDED THAT THE OTHER CREW MEMBER'S CERTIFICATE EXCEEDING CURRENCY WAS REVEALED INTERNALLY AND NOT OUTSIDE THE COMPANY.

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.