Narrative:

Flight was dispatched with nose wheel steering (NWS) system deferred per MEL. Upon landing at cmi wind reported as 0608-9 KTS. T/D and initial rollout were normal, nose wheel on the centerline and aircraft decelerating nicely. At approximately 30-40 KTS the speeds were place in low position. A couple of seconds thereafter, the aircraft veered to the left, ultimately leaving the runway approximately 3500' down from the approach end of runway 14. The application of differential power/beta and reverse along with full right brake application had no effect. The tail of aircraft ended up approximately 20-25' from the runway's edge, the ground soft grass. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft or airport property. I believe the incident occurred due to power levers being slightly out of rig, causing varying dissimilar amounts of beta and reverse being applied to each engine. Application of brakes with the right rudder deflected is minimal as the forward bulkhead limits toe brake application and effectiveness. The NWS system on the small transport should not be a deferrable item on MEL. Supplemental information from acn 83258: the captain, who was PF, could not correct the deviation by use of differential reversing or brake application. The captain called for me to apply full right brake, which was done with no effect. Once the aircraft started to veer off, full right rudder deflection prevented full right brake deflection due to the bulkhead blocking its travel. Suggestions would include not allowing the nose wheel steering to be deferred on this aircraft, as the aircraft has a long history of nose steering problems and similar runway excursions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: when full right rudder is held, right brake is limited or not at all available depending on how well the brakes are adjusted on that particular installation. Reporters indicated that if the brakes were in good condition, only partial brake would be available with full rudder throw. In this particular case, little or no braking was available. Captain adamantly feels that these aircraft should not be dispatched with the nose wheel steering inoperative and at the very least, more training in landing west/O the nose wheel steering should be provided. She said she only had about 5 mins of training on this subject.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT DEPARTED THE RWY DURING THE LNDG ROLL COMING TO REST IN GRASS CLEAR OF THE RWY.

Narrative: FLT WAS DISPATCHED WITH NOSE WHEEL STEERING (NWS) SYS DEFERRED PER MEL. UPON LNDG AT CMI WIND RPTED AS 0608-9 KTS. T/D AND INITIAL ROLLOUT WERE NORMAL, NOSE WHEEL ON THE CENTERLINE AND ACFT DECELERATING NICELY. AT APPROX 30-40 KTS THE SPDS WERE PLACE IN LOW POS. A COUPLE OF SECS THEREAFTER, THE ACFT VEERED TO THE LEFT, ULTIMATELY LEAVING THE RWY APPROX 3500' DOWN FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 14. THE APPLICATION OF DIFFERENTIAL PWR/BETA AND REVERSE ALONG WITH FULL RIGHT BRAKE APPLICATION HAD NO EFFECT. THE TAIL OF ACFT ENDED UP APPROX 20-25' FROM THE RWY'S EDGE, THE GND SOFT GRASS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR ARPT PROPERTY. I BELIEVE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DUE TO PWR LEVERS BEING SLIGHTLY OUT OF RIG, CAUSING VARYING DISSIMILAR AMOUNTS OF BETA AND REVERSE BEING APPLIED TO EACH ENG. APPLICATION OF BRAKES WITH THE RIGHT RUDDER DEFLECTED IS MINIMAL AS THE FORWARD BULKHEAD LIMITS TOE BRAKE APPLICATION AND EFFECTIVENESS. THE NWS SYS ON THE SMT SHOULD NOT BE A DEFERRABLE ITEM ON MEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 83258: THE CAPT, WHO WAS PF, COULD NOT CORRECT THE DEVIATION BY USE OF DIFFERENTIAL REVERSING OR BRAKE APPLICATION. THE CAPT CALLED FOR ME TO APPLY FULL RIGHT BRAKE, WHICH WAS DONE WITH NO EFFECT. ONCE THE ACFT STARTED TO VEER OFF, FULL RIGHT RUDDER DEFLECTION PREVENTED FULL RIGHT BRAKE DEFLECTION DUE TO THE BULKHEAD BLOCKING ITS TRAVEL. SUGGESTIONS WOULD INCLUDE NOT ALLOWING THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING TO BE DEFERRED ON THIS ACFT, AS THE ACFT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF NOSE STEERING PROBS AND SIMILAR RWY EXCURSIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: WHEN FULL RIGHT RUDDER IS HELD, RIGHT BRAKE IS LIMITED OR NOT AT ALL AVAILABLE DEPENDING ON HOW WELL THE BRAKES ARE ADJUSTED ON THAT PARTICULAR INSTALLATION. REPORTERS INDICATED THAT IF THE BRAKES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION, ONLY PARTIAL BRAKE WOULD BE AVAILABLE WITH FULL RUDDER THROW. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, LITTLE OR NO BRAKING WAS AVAILABLE. CAPT ADAMANTLY FEELS THAT THESE ACFT SHOULD NOT BE DISPATCHED WITH THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING INOP AND AT THE VERY LEAST, MORE TRNING IN LNDG W/O THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING SHOULD BE PROVIDED. SHE SAID SHE ONLY HAD ABOUT 5 MINS OF TRNING ON THIS SUBJECT.

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.