Narrative:

Upon entering the terminal area, the captain and I prepared the mdt for a visual to 5R at indy. It was my leg so it was to be my landing. Upon turning base to final I called for the gear down (it was selected) and 1 of the 2 nose gear down lights failed to operate. Captain said to disregard since the condition had happened previously and all other factors concurred the gear was down. I then asked for flaps 16, 26 and 40 degrees as per the SOP. When the flaps were down, the gear warning horn came on (it's tied in to the same switch as the lights). It was very hard to hear anything. Captain then reached down and pulled the flaps from 40 back to 16 degrees, causing a pitch and airspeed change. I would have rather have not dealt with being so close to landing. At any rate, I adjusted for the change and increased vref and vth speeds -- no problem. During the landing the horn was still blaring. During the landing rollout I selected ground fine pitch as per SOP and as we passed through 60 KTS captain said -- you got tiller steering (company procedure is to give steering control to captain after 60 KTS) -- but he was busy using the l-hand push- to-talk switch (talking to tower, and thus could not use tiller to steer). I started steering when the aircraft was at 60 KTS and then the aircraft veered to the right. Tried to correct but the nosewheel steering was ineffective (according to many capts the mdt nosewheel system sometimes 'cuts out' and fails during the landing sequence). Captain saw the plane going to the right and grabbed for the controls. He then attempted to correct the conditions with nosewheel and rudder/brake control but they seemed ineffective. He had the tiller and rudder at full left but the bird kept on going for right. The plane came to a rest with the right main in the soft grass but no damage to the plane or runway lights. We called for a tug and started to go through the shutdown checklist.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY EXCURSION AFTER ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION AND DESTABILIZED APCH LNDG PROC ROLLOUT.

Narrative: UPON ENTERING THE TERMINAL AREA, THE CAPT AND I PREPARED THE MDT FOR A VISUAL TO 5R AT INDY. IT WAS MY LEG SO IT WAS TO BE MY LNDG. UPON TURNING BASE TO FINAL I CALLED FOR THE GEAR DOWN (IT WAS SELECTED) AND 1 OF THE 2 NOSE GEAR DOWN LIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE. CAPT SAID TO DISREGARD SINCE THE CONDITION HAD HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY AND ALL OTHER FACTORS CONCURRED THE GEAR WAS DOWN. I THEN ASKED FOR FLAPS 16, 26 AND 40 DEGS AS PER THE SOP. WHEN THE FLAPS WERE DOWN, THE GEAR WARNING HORN CAME ON (IT'S TIED IN TO THE SAME SWITCH AS THE LIGHTS). IT WAS VERY HARD TO HEAR ANYTHING. CAPT THEN REACHED DOWN AND PULLED THE FLAPS FROM 40 BACK TO 16 DEGS, CAUSING A PITCH AND AIRSPD CHANGE. I WOULD HAVE RATHER HAVE NOT DEALT WITH BEING SO CLOSE TO LNDG. AT ANY RATE, I ADJUSTED FOR THE CHANGE AND INCREASED VREF AND VTH SPDS -- NO PROB. DURING THE LNDG THE HORN WAS STILL BLARING. DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT I SELECTED GND FINE PITCH AS PER SOP AND AS WE PASSED THROUGH 60 KTS CAPT SAID -- YOU GOT TILLER STEERING (COMPANY PROC IS TO GIVE STEERING CTL TO CAPT AFTER 60 KTS) -- BUT HE WAS BUSY USING THE L-HAND PUSH- TO-TALK SWITCH (TALKING TO TWR, AND THUS COULD NOT USE TILLER TO STEER). I STARTED STEERING WHEN THE ACFT WAS AT 60 KTS AND THEN THE ACFT VEERED TO THE R. TRIED TO CORRECT BUT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WAS INEFFECTIVE (ACCORDING TO MANY CAPTS THE MDT NOSEWHEEL SYS SOMETIMES 'CUTS OUT' AND FAILS DURING THE LNDG SEQUENCE). CAPT SAW THE PLANE GOING TO THE R AND GRABBED FOR THE CTLS. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE CONDITIONS WITH NOSEWHEEL AND RUDDER/BRAKE CTL BUT THEY SEEMED INEFFECTIVE. HE HAD THE TILLER AND RUDDER AT FULL L BUT THE BIRD KEPT ON GOING FOR R. THE PLANE CAME TO A REST WITH THE R MAIN IN THE SOFT GRASS BUT NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE OR RWY LIGHTS. WE CALLED FOR A TUG AND STARTED TO GO THROUGH THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST.

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