MD80 flight crew experiences nose gear steering failure when forced to make sharp turn due to encoun...

Attributes
ACN	760698
Time
Date	200711
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	760698
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

Captain was PF. Fully briefed visual runway 22L backed up by ILS with a planned exit at Y9. Captain made smooth landing and deceleration; exiting as planned at Y9; proceeding onto K9 and left (nebound) on taxiway K. Tower cleared us to taxi to the gate and to stay with him; not specifying a route to the gate. Heading northeast on taxiway K; we suddenly and unexpectedly noticed unlit traffic cones across taxiway K at K11 and the captain brought the aircraft to a stop. There was sufficient room to make the 90 degrees (swbound) onto taxiway Y but during the slow left turn the captain reported the tiller turned more than 90 degrees and became jammed. In addition; it felt as though the jammed nosewheel skidded approximately 1 ft before we came to a complete stop. Contributing factors; non specific NOTAMS on ATIS; vague taxi clearance by a multi-tasking tower controller; and most importantly; unlit traffic cones in the middle of a taxiway at night. We were fortunate that we did not FOD an engine. Suggest that dtw tower give more specific taxi instructions and utilize lighted markers when closing txwys at night.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES NOSE GEAR STEERING FAILURE WHEN FORCED TO MAKE SHARP TURN DUE TO ENCOUNTERING UNLIT TRAFFIC CONES BLOCKING THEIR MOVEMENT DURING NIGHT TAXI AT DTW.

Narrative: CAPT WAS PF. FULLY BRIEFED VISUAL RWY 22L BACKED UP BY ILS WITH A PLANNED EXIT AT Y9. CAPT MADE SMOOTH LNDG AND DECELERATION; EXITING AS PLANNED AT Y9; PROCEEDING ONTO K9 AND L (NEBOUND) ON TXWY K. TWR CLRED US TO TAXI TO THE GATE AND TO STAY WITH HIM; NOT SPECIFYING A RTE TO THE GATE. HDG NE ON TXWY K; WE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY NOTICED UNLIT TFC CONES ACROSS TXWY K AT K11 AND THE CAPT BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP. THERE WAS SUFFICIENT ROOM TO MAKE THE 90 DEGS (SWBOUND) ONTO TXWY Y BUT DURING THE SLOW L TURN THE CAPT RPTED THE TILLER TURNED MORE THAN 90 DEGS AND BECAME JAMMED. IN ADDITION; IT FELT AS THOUGH THE JAMMED NOSEWHEEL SKIDDED APPROX 1 FT BEFORE WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS; NON SPECIFIC NOTAMS ON ATIS; VAGUE TAXI CLRNC BY A MULTI-TASKING TWR CTLR; AND MOST IMPORTANTLY; UNLIT TFC CONES IN THE MIDDLE OF A TXWY AT NIGHT. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE DID NOT FOD AN ENG. SUGGEST THAT DTW TWR GIVE MORE SPECIFIC TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND UTILIZE LIGHTED MARKERS WHEN CLOSING TXWYS AT NIGHT.

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.

MD80 flight crew experiences nose gear steering failure when forced to make sharp turn due to encountering unlit traffic cones blocking their movement during night taxi at dtw.