Narrative:

I'm not sure why the actuator broke off. I'm not sure if it's a factor; but the pushback operator was a little aggressive with the capture and pushing back of the airplane. It was nothing out of the norm. I've experienced rougher rides in the past with pushbacks (especially someone in training). The taxi and takeoff were all uneventful. The nosewheel steering worked fine and everything with the landing gear appeared normal. After we departed the runway; at a positive rate; I called for the gear up. That's when we heard a loud thud in the nosewheel well. The in-transit light remained on. The 2 of us had never experienced this before. It sounded like and felt like metal on metal and then breakage within the nosewheel well. Before starting the QRH we called maintenance control and dispatch to see if they had seen anything like this before. After consulting with them we continued with the QRH gear up unsafe condition. The QRH directed us to cycle the gear down and then back up. We came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea just to bring the gear down and not back up; due to what we had experienced with the attempted retraction (all hydraulic indications were normal). As we brought the gear selector down we heard and felt metal on metal binding then a violent drop of the nosewheel gear. After a long pause we were able to get a 3 green indication. The flight attendant later informed us that the entire cabin had felt and heard it as well. As we continued to consult with maintenance control and dispatch we declared an emergency and returned to the airport. After an uneventful landing and rollout we elected to stop the aircraft on the runway and have a mechanic put pins in. He informed us that the downlock actuator had sheared off of the nosewheel gear and he recommended not moving or changing the confign of the aircraft. So; we decided to deplane on the runway and wait to feather the propellers until a shuttle arrived and arff was in position in case the nosewheel would collapse with the shutdown. The shutdown went without incident and everyone deplaned safely. I'm not sure what caused the failure. Excessive wear and tear in pushbacks and movement with tugs? More inspections of the failed area? As for our election to not follow the QRH. It did not make sense to attempt another retraction. I think we would have caused more damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SA340 FLT CREW REPORTS NOSE GEAR MALFUNCTION AFTER DEPARTURE AND DECISION NOT TO FOLLOW QRH PROCEDURE PRIOR TO SUCCESSFUL LANDING WITHOUT GEAR COLLAPSE.

Narrative: I'M NOT SURE WHY THE ACTUATOR BROKE OFF. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S A FACTOR; BUT THE PUSHBACK OPERATOR WAS A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE WITH THE CAPTURE AND PUSHING BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. IT WAS NOTHING OUT OF THE NORM. I'VE EXPERIENCED ROUGHER RIDES IN THE PAST WITH PUSHBACKS (ESPECIALLY SOMEONE IN TRAINING). THE TAXI AND TKOF WERE ALL UNEVENTFUL. THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WORKED FINE AND EVERYTHING WITH THE LNDG GEAR APPEARED NORMAL. AFTER WE DEPARTED THE RWY; AT A POSITIVE RATE; I CALLED FOR THE GEAR UP. THAT'S WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD THUD IN THE NOSEWHEEL WELL. THE IN-TRANSIT LIGHT REMAINED ON. THE 2 OF US HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE. IT SOUNDED LIKE AND FELT LIKE METAL ON METAL AND THEN BREAKAGE WITHIN THE NOSEWHEEL WELL. BEFORE STARTING THE QRH WE CALLED MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH TO SEE IF THEY HAD SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. AFTER CONSULTING WITH THEM WE CONTINUED WITH THE QRH GEAR UP UNSAFE CONDITION. THE QRH DIRECTED US TO CYCLE THE GEAR DOWN AND THEN BACK UP. WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA JUST TO BRING THE GEAR DOWN AND NOT BACK UP; DUE TO WHAT WE HAD EXPERIENCED WITH THE ATTEMPTED RETRACTION (ALL HYD INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL). AS WE BROUGHT THE GEAR SELECTOR DOWN WE HEARD AND FELT METAL ON METAL BINDING THEN A VIOLENT DROP OF THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR. AFTER A LONG PAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO GET A 3 GREEN INDICATION. THE FLT ATTENDANT LATER INFORMED US THAT THE ENTIRE CABIN HAD FELT AND HEARD IT AS WELL. AS WE CONTINUED TO CONSULT WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO THE ARPT. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND ROLLOUT WE ELECTED TO STOP THE ACFT ON THE RWY AND HAVE A MECH PUT PINS IN. HE INFORMED US THAT THE DOWNLOCK ACTUATOR HAD SHEARED OFF OF THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR AND HE RECOMMENDED NOT MOVING OR CHANGING THE CONFIGN OF THE ACFT. SO; WE DECIDED TO DEPLANE ON THE RWY AND WAIT TO FEATHER THE PROPS UNTIL A SHUTTLE ARRIVED AND ARFF WAS IN POS IN CASE THE NOSEWHEEL WOULD COLLAPSE WITH THE SHUTDOWN. THE SHUTDOWN WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT AND EVERYONE DEPLANED SAFELY. I'M NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. EXCESSIVE WEAR AND TEAR IN PUSHBACKS AND MOVEMENT WITH TUGS? MORE INSPECTIONS OF THE FAILED AREA? AS FOR OUR ELECTION TO NOT FOLLOW THE QRH. IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER RETRACTION. I THINK WE WOULD HAVE CAUSED MORE DAMAGE.

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.