Narrative:

Upon completion of our pushback (standard terminology was used); I received a salute and release from guidance. I pressurized the 'a' hydraulic system and asked for and received taxi clearance. I pushed up the power on the #2 engine for the single engine taxi. I turned the nose tiller to the left for taxi. The tiller turned left on its own and I quickly realized that I had no nose gear steering. I stopped; set the parking brake; and verified normal hydraulic pressure and quantity in the 'a' system. I then suspected that the bypass pin may not have been removed. I depressurized the 'a' system to prevent any potential damage to people or equipment. I called operations and had my push crew talk to me on the interphone. The push crew informed me that part of a bypass pin was still installed. I asked for maintenance to inspect and tow the aircraft back to the gate. Contract maintenance inspected and operations checked the nose gear and confirmed that there was no damage and that no limits had been exceeded. I talked to a ramp supervisor who showed me the bypass pin that had been removed from the nose gear prior to our taxi out. Apparently; the pin is made of 2 cylinders that are inserted together. The pushback crew removed the inner part of the bypass pin and was unaware that the outer part of the pin was still in the nose gear. Therefore; no nose gear steering was available for taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 CAPTAIN REPORTS NOT HAVING ANY NOSEWHEEL STEERING AFTER RELEASE AND SALUTE FROM GATE PUSHBACK CREW. PART OF STEERING BYPASS SAFETY PIN REMAINED IN THE NOSE STEERING ASSEMBLY.

Narrative: UPON COMPLETION OF OUR PUSHBACK (STANDARD TERMINOLOGY WAS USED); I RECEIVED A SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE. I PRESSURIZED THE 'A' HYD SYS AND ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC. I PUSHED UP THE PWR ON THE #2 ENG FOR THE SINGLE ENG TAXI. I TURNED THE NOSE TILLER TO THE L FOR TAXI. THE TILLER TURNED L ON ITS OWN AND I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT I HAD NO NOSE GEAR STEERING. I STOPPED; SET THE PARKING BRAKE; AND VERIFIED NORMAL HYD PRESSURE AND QUANTITY IN THE 'A' SYS. I THEN SUSPECTED THAT THE BYPASS PIN MAY NOT HAVE BEEN REMOVED. I DEPRESSURIZED THE 'A' SYS TO PREVENT ANY POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO PEOPLE OR EQUIP. I CALLED OPS AND HAD MY PUSH CREW TALK TO ME ON THE INTERPHONE. THE PUSH CREW INFORMED ME THAT PART OF A BYPASS PIN WAS STILL INSTALLED. I ASKED FOR MAINT TO INSPECT AND TOW THE ACFT BACK TO THE GATE. CONTRACT MAINT INSPECTED AND OPS CHKED THE NOSE GEAR AND CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE AND THAT NO LIMITS HAD BEEN EXCEEDED. I TALKED TO A RAMP SUPVR WHO SHOWED ME THE BYPASS PIN THAT HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE NOSE GEAR PRIOR TO OUR TAXI OUT. APPARENTLY; THE PIN IS MADE OF 2 CYLINDERS THAT ARE INSERTED TOGETHER. THE PUSHBACK CREW REMOVED THE INNER PART OF THE BYPASS PIN AND WAS UNAWARE THAT THE OUTER PART OF THE PIN WAS STILL IN THE NOSE GEAR. THEREFORE; NO NOSE GEAR STEERING WAS AVAILABLE FOR TAXI.

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.