Narrative:

Just after touchdown the aircraft started to drift slightly to the right. I believed this to have been caused by the 16 to 20 KT crosswind coming from the north. I then applied left rudder to correct to center line. Then I received a steer inoperative EICAS message. At that point I continued to use rudder and differential braking to get the aircraft on center line. As we approached approximately 50 KTS the aircraft made an uncommanded violent break to the left and then immediately to the right. I did what I could to keep the aircraft on center line with aggressive rudder and differential braking. I was able to get the aircraft stopped on the runway. However; the aircraft was pointed approximately 20 to 30 degrees off of center line on a 070 heading. I immediately told tower that we were disabled on the runway and that I was not able to control the aircraft on the ground. The controller started sending aircraft around. I told tower that we will need to be towed back to the gate. Tower contacted port authority for assistance. We then ran aom procedures as best we could considering the fact that the aircraft was already stopped to ensure that we did not miss anything. We contacted dispatch and maintenance and told them of the problem. Maintenance started to request that I start pulling circuit breakers to other systems to attempt to restore the nose gear steering system and attempt to taxi it off the runway. I refused to do so. I told him we have passengers on board an aircraft that was making violent random inputs to the nosewheel steering system. I will not voluntarily subject myself or the passengers to this unknown condition again. I demanded a tug. When the mechanic showed up he stated that the nose landing gear was pointed 55 degrees hard right and could not believe that the aircraft did not depart the runway. We got towed back to the gate uneventfully. When the mechanic called us back to give us an update on the status of the aircraft; he said that he sat there and watched the nose landing gear move continuously uncommanded left and right from center line and then violently go hard right and stay there. He stated that this is a hard fault. I know this has happened many other times to our pilots. What is being done to prevent this from happening again? Put out an ad for this defective system and have it reengineered before one goes in the dirt at high speed like my aircraft tried to do.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this is the second time that this reporter has experienced a nosewheel steering failure. The first instance occurred during taxi and the aircraft was towed back to the gate for repairs. He is also aware of several other failures that have occurred at his carrier and at others; and believes that it is time for the FAA to step in and require that the nosewheel steering system be redesigned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB135 CAPT REPORTS NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAILURE DURING LANDING ROLL CAUSING ERRATIC STEERING INPUTS WHICH HE WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME USING DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING. THE ACFT DID NOT EXPERIENCE A RWY EXCURSION; AND WAS TOWED TO THE GATE.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DRIFT SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT. I BELIEVED THIS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE 16 TO 20 KT CROSSWIND COMING FROM THE NORTH. I THEN APPLIED LEFT RUDDER TO CORRECT TO CENTER LINE. THEN I RECEIVED A STEER INOP EICAS MESSAGE. AT THAT POINT I CONTINUED TO USE RUDDER AND DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING TO GET THE AIRCRAFT ON CENTER LINE. AS WE APPROACHED APPROXIMATELY 50 KTS THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN UNCOMMANDED VIOLENT BREAK TO THE LEFT AND THEN IMMEDIATELY TO THE RIGHT. I DID WHAT I COULD TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ON CENTER LINE WITH AGGRESSIVE RUDDER AND DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED ON THE RUNWAY. HOWEVER; THE AIRCRAFT WAS POINTED APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 DEGREES OFF OF CENTER LINE ON A 070 HEADING. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD TOWER THAT WE WERE DISABLED ON THE RUNWAY AND THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND. THE CONTROLLER STARTED SENDING AIRCRAFT AROUND. I TOLD TOWER THAT WE WILL NEED TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. TOWER CONTACTED PORT AUTHORITY FOR ASSISTANCE. WE THEN RAN AOM PROCEDURES AS BEST WE COULD CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALREADY STOPPED TO ENSURE THAT WE DID NOT MISS ANYTHING. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MAINT AND TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM. MAINT STARTED TO REQUEST THAT I START PULLING CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO OTHER SYSTEMS TO ATTEMPT TO RESTORE THE NOSE GEAR STEERING SYSTEM AND ATTEMPT TO TAXI IT OFF THE RUNWAY. I REFUSED TO DO SO. I TOLD HIM WE HAVE PASSENGERS ON BOARD AN AIRCRAFT THAT WAS MAKING VIOLENT RANDOM INPUTS TO THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYSTEM. I WILL NOT VOLUNTARILY SUBJECT MYSELF OR THE PASSENGERS TO THIS UNKNOWN CONDITION AGAIN. I DEMANDED A TUG. WHEN THE MECHANIC SHOWED UP HE STATED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS POINTED 55 DEGREES HARD RIGHT AND COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT DEPART THE RUNWAY. WE GOT TOWED BACK TO THE GATE UNEVENTFULLY. WHEN THE MECHANIC CALLED US BACK TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE AIRCRAFT; HE SAID THAT HE SAT THERE AND WATCHED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR MOVE CONTINUOUSLY UNCOMMANDED LEFT AND RIGHT FROM CENTER LINE AND THEN VIOLENTLY GO HARD RIGHT AND STAY THERE. HE STATED THAT THIS IS A HARD FAULT. I KNOW THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY OTHER TIMES TO OUR PILOTS. WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN? PUT OUT AN AD FOR THIS DEFECTIVE SYSTEM AND HAVE IT REENGINEERED BEFORE ONE GOES IN THE DIRT AT HIGH SPEED LIKE MY AIRCRAFT TRIED TO DO.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS REPORTER HAS EXPERIENCED A NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAILURE. THE FIRST INSTANCE OCCURRED DURING TAXI AND THE ACFT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE GATE FOR REPAIRS. HE IS ALSO AWARE OF SEVERAL OTHER FAILURES THAT HAVE OCCURRED AT HIS CARRIER AND AT OTHERS; AND BELIEVES THAT IT IS TIME FOR THE FAA TO STEP IN AND REQUIRE THAT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYSTEM BE REDESIGNED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.