Narrative:

Flight powered back on schedule with no abnormalities. Taxiing to the active runway and takeoff were normal. After gear retraction the door light, forward panel and the nose gear light second officer's panel remained on. Two attempts were made to put the door lights out by cycling the gear. The light remained on. All test circuits were then checked and found to be normal. At this point I opted to dump fuel to maximum landing weight and return to seattle. On the approach the landing gear was extended with all normal indications. On landing roll out when the nose gear touched down it shimmied severely. Nose steering was completely inoperative. When the aircraft came to a stop I set the parking brake and waited for the ground support personnel. We then secured the aircraft and I went down and inspected the damage. Upon inspection it was discovered that the right nose gear flying door had a hole in it. The torque link had come unattached and the apex pin was dangling hanging on a hydraulic line by a retention strap. There was no other apparent damage and the aircraft was able to taxi after the torque link was reattached. The aircraft was returned to service after the following were made: the nose gear was replaced. The right nose tire was replaced. A new apex pin was installed. It appears that when the aircraft taxied into position on the active runway the hydraulic line could have wrapped around the torque link. In doing so it worked the apex pin out of the bushing. Maybe this method of retaining the pin while the aircraft is under tow could be causing these problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER TKOF GEAR DOOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT GO OUT. DUMPED FUEL RETURN AND LAND.

Narrative: FLT POWERED BACK ON SCHEDULE WITH NO ABNORMALITIES. TAXIING TO THE ACTIVE RWY AND TKOF WERE NORMAL. AFTER GEAR RETRACTION THE DOOR LIGHT, FORWARD PANEL AND THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT S/O'S PANEL REMAINED ON. TWO ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO PUT THE DOOR LIGHTS OUT BY CYCLING THE GEAR. THE LIGHT REMAINED ON. ALL TEST CIRCUITS WERE THEN CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE NORMAL. AT THIS POINT I OPTED TO DUMP FUEL TO MAX LNDG WEIGHT AND RETURN TO SEATTLE. ON THE APCH THE LNDG GEAR WAS EXTENDED WITH ALL NORMAL INDICATIONS. ON LNDG ROLL OUT WHEN THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN IT SHIMMIED SEVERELY. NOSE STEERING WAS COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE. WHEN THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP I SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND WAITED FOR THE GND SUPPORT PERSONNEL. WE THEN SECURED THE ACFT AND I WENT DOWN AND INSPECTED THE DAMAGE. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT NOSE GEAR FLYING DOOR HAD A HOLE IN IT. THE TORQUE LINK HAD COME UNATTACHED AND THE APEX PIN WAS DANGLING HANGING ON A HYDRAULIC LINE BY A RETENTION STRAP. THERE WAS NO OTHER APPARENT DAMAGE AND THE ACFT WAS ABLE TO TAXI AFTER THE TORQUE LINK WAS REATTACHED. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE AFTER THE FOLLOWING WERE MADE: THE NOSE GEAR WAS REPLACED. THE RIGHT NOSE TIRE WAS REPLACED. A NEW APEX PIN WAS INSTALLED. IT APPEARS THAT WHEN THE ACFT TAXIED INTO POSITION ON THE ACTIVE RWY THE HYDRAULIC LINE COULD HAVE WRAPPED AROUND THE TORQUE LINK. IN DOING SO IT WORKED THE APEX PIN OUT OF THE BUSHING. MAYBE THIS METHOD OF RETAINING THE PIN WHILE THE ACFT IS UNDER TOW COULD BE CAUSING THESE PROBLEMS.

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.