Narrative:

I was the captain on flight X. The trip was uneventful until takeoff. The entire operations and procedures until this moment remained normal. Upon application of 'standard' power; the aircraft reached the approximately speed of 100 KTS. At this point; a series of thuds and vibrations; followed; which I assumed were associated with a compressor stall. I announced the 'rejected takeoff' and immediately initiated company procedure. Thrust reverser and maximum wheel braking was initially used with speed brake fully deployed. Upon reaching a safe speed; I slightly relaxed both brake pedal pressure and started to stow reverser thrust. At this instant; the aircraft started to pull decisively to the left. Regardless of my strongest attempt to maintain directional control with full right rudder application and maximum right wheel brake; I was unable to maintain directional control of the aircraft; which ultimately departed the runway surface. The aircraft came to a stop approximately 50 ft into the grass. Directing my attention to the safety of the crew; I initiated the 'evacuate/evacuation' procedure through the forward entry door. The crew reported no injuries; and no visible damage to the aircraft. The company has since advised there was a mechanical malfunction in that the nose gear pin was not connected. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated an investigation by the company revealed the nose gear scissors pin was either not installed correctly or the pin locking device failed. The reporter did have nose steering when the airplane left the gate but not after the rejected takeoff. The reporter did not visually check the nose steering scissors after evacing the airplane and the other 2 crew members did not make a check. The airplane was not damaged but did have hot brakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 REJECTED TKOF AT 100 KTS DUE TO VARIOUS THUDS AND VIBRATIONS. UPON SLOWING TO TAXI SPD; THE ACFT VEERED L AND DEPARTED THE RWY. NO ACFT DAMAGE INCURRED.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT X. THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL TKOF. THE ENTIRE OPS AND PROCS UNTIL THIS MOMENT REMAINED NORMAL. UPON APPLICATION OF 'STANDARD' PWR; THE ACFT REACHED THE APPROX SPD OF 100 KTS. AT THIS POINT; A SERIES OF THUDS AND VIBRATIONS; FOLLOWED; WHICH I ASSUMED WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A COMPRESSOR STALL. I ANNOUNCED THE 'REJECTED TKOF' AND IMMEDIATELY INITIATED COMPANY PROC. THRUST REVERSER AND MAX WHEEL BRAKING WAS INITIALLY USED WITH SPD BRAKE FULLY DEPLOYED. UPON REACHING A SAFE SPD; I SLIGHTLY RELAXED BOTH BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE AND STARTED TO STOW REVERSER THRUST. AT THIS INSTANT; THE ACFT STARTED TO PULL DECISIVELY TO THE L. REGARDLESS OF MY STRONGEST ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL WITH FULL R RUDDER APPLICATION AND MAX R WHEEL BRAKE; I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE ACFT; WHICH ULTIMATELY DEPARTED THE RWY SURFACE. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP APPROX 50 FT INTO THE GRASS. DIRECTING MY ATTN TO THE SAFETY OF THE CREW; I INITIATED THE 'EVAC' PROC THROUGH THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR. THE CREW RPTED NO INJURIES; AND NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE COMPANY HAS SINCE ADVISED THERE WAS A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION IN THAT THE NOSE GEAR PIN WAS NOT CONNECTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED AN INVESTIGATION BY THE COMPANY REVEALED THE NOSE GEAR SCISSORS PIN WAS EITHER NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY OR THE PIN LOCKING DEVICE FAILED. THE RPTR DID HAVE NOSE STEERING WHEN THE AIRPLANE LEFT THE GATE BUT NOT AFTER THE REJECTED TKOF. THE RPTR DID NOT VISUALLY CHK THE NOSE STEERING SCISSORS AFTER EVACING THE AIRPLANE AND THE OTHER 2 CREW MEMBERS DID NOT MAKE A CHK. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT DAMAGED BUT DID HAVE HOT BRAKES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.