Narrative:

The visual approach was normal and a smooth touchdown with the right wing down to compensate for the crosswind. During rollout directional control became erratic as the aircraft slowed and the tower advised smoke from the right main gear area. I thought a tire had blown and continued to slow and clear the runway. When I turned left on the taxiway the aircraft slowed abruptly and would not respond to nosewheel steering after the initial turn. I stopped at a 45 degree angle on the taxiway with the aircraft slightly off the runway. As I came to a halt the tower advised the smoke had stopped but they were sending fire equipment to check. After stopping I asked the tower if they saw anymore smoke and they said no. I determined that the situation was not life threatening and advised the tower that the passenger would deplane using the aft stairway and asked them to call operations and have a bus sent to transport the passenger to the terminal. I then told the passenger that we had a flat tire and that they would have to exit out the rear steps and that a bus would transport them to the terminal. I told the copilot to go aft and lower the rear steps and had the F/a's deplane the passenger and stay with them until the bus arrived and station personnel relieved them. There were no injuries to any of the 32 passenger or 5 crewmembers. The copilot then returned to the cockpit and we secured the aircraft. On inspection it was determined that the torque link had failed and the right main tires were at a 45 degree angle to the left. No damage to the aircraft other than the right main tires and brake assembly.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TORQUE LINK FAILURE AFTER CROSSWIND LNDG. ACFT STRANDED AND PASSENGERS EVACUATED BY REAR STAIRS.

Narrative: THE VISUAL APCH WAS NORMAL AND A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN WITH THE RIGHT WING DOWN TO COMPENSATE FOR THE XWIND. DURING ROLLOUT DIRECTIONAL CTL BECAME ERRATIC AS THE ACFT SLOWED AND THE TWR ADVISED SMOKE FROM THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AREA. I THOUGHT A TIRE HAD BLOWN AND CONTINUED TO SLOW AND CLR THE RWY. WHEN I TURNED LEFT ON THE TXWY THE ACFT SLOWED ABRUPTLY AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO NOSEWHEEL STEERING AFTER THE INITIAL TURN. I STOPPED AT A 45 DEG ANGLE ON THE TXWY WITH THE ACFT SLIGHTLY OFF THE RWY. AS I CAME TO A HALT THE TWR ADVISED THE SMOKE HAD STOPPED BUT THEY WERE SENDING FIRE EQUIP TO CHK. AFTER STOPPING I ASKED THE TWR IF THEY SAW ANYMORE SMOKE AND THEY SAID NO. I DETERMINED THAT THE SITUATION WAS NOT LIFE THREATENING AND ADVISED THE TWR THAT THE PAX WOULD DEPLANE USING THE AFT STAIRWAY AND ASKED THEM TO CALL OPS AND HAVE A BUS SENT TO TRANSPORT THE PAX TO THE TERMINAL. I THEN TOLD THE PAX THAT WE HAD A FLAT TIRE AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO EXIT OUT THE REAR STEPS AND THAT A BUS WOULD TRANSPORT THEM TO THE TERMINAL. I TOLD THE COPLT TO GO AFT AND LOWER THE REAR STEPS AND HAD THE F/A'S DEPLANE THE PAX AND STAY WITH THEM UNTIL THE BUS ARRIVED AND STATION PERSONNEL RELIEVED THEM. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY OF THE 32 PAX OR 5 CREWMEMBERS. THE COPLT THEN RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND WE SECURED THE ACFT. ON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TORQUE LINK HAD FAILED AND THE RIGHT MAIN TIRES WERE AT A 45 DEG ANGLE TO THE LEFT. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OTHER THAN THE RIGHT MAIN TIRES AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.