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Probable taxiway excursion after aircraft equipment problem malfunction creates aircraft damage via a propeller strike.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 242193 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199305 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mco |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 5640 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 242193 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 242189 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On taxi out from gate to runway, the aircraft nose steering failed. The aircraft was in a slow left turn at the time of failure and was brought to a stop. The crew was able to reactivate the nose steering and began to again turn the aircraft. In this turn, the nose steering again failed and the aircraft was brought to a stop. The crew notified ATC ground control of the situation. Company operations was also notified and the passenger were briefed. Operations sent a tug out, and the aircraft was towed back to the gate. Maintenance inspected the aircraft and electrically disconnected the nose steering. They also deferred the nose steering per our MEL. The passenger were re- boarded and the flight continued normally (without nose steering) to the destination and back. This was the end of our flying day, and we taxied back to the hangar. On post-flight inspection, the crew found a large nick in the tip of 1 blade on the right propeller. Neither crew member heard or saw anything that would have suggested a propeller strike during this day. The small transport has a long history of nose steering problems with many runway and taxiway excursions reported at our company alone. I believe that a joint industry FAA review panel should be convened to evaluate what I consider to be a flawed design and implement a mandatory refit of all aircraft before any more accidents or incidents occur.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PROBABLE TXWY EXCURSION AFTER ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION CREATES ACFT DAMAGE VIA A PROP STRIKE.
Narrative: ON TAXI OUT FROM GATE TO RWY, THE ACFT NOSE STEERING FAILED. THE ACFT WAS IN A SLOW L TURN AT THE TIME OF FAILURE AND WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP. THE CREW WAS ABLE TO REACTIVATE THE NOSE STEERING AND BEGAN TO AGAIN TURN THE ACFT. IN THIS TURN, THE NOSE STEERING AGAIN FAILED AND THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP. THE CREW NOTIFIED ATC GND CTL OF THE SIT. COMPANY OPS WAS ALSO NOTIFIED AND THE PAX WERE BRIEFED. OPS SENT A TUG OUT, AND THE ACFT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND ELECTRICALLY DISCONNECTED THE NOSE STEERING. THEY ALSO DEFERRED THE NOSE STEERING PER OUR MEL. THE PAX WERE RE- BOARDED AND THE FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY (WITHOUT NOSE STEERING) TO THE DEST AND BACK. THIS WAS THE END OF OUR FLYING DAY, AND WE TAXIED BACK TO THE HANGAR. ON POST-FLT INSPECTION, THE CREW FOUND A LARGE NICK IN THE TIP OF 1 BLADE ON THE R PROP. NEITHER CREW MEMBER HEARD OR SAW ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE SUGGESTED A PROP STRIKE DURING THIS DAY. THE SMT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF NOSE STEERING PROBS WITH MANY RWY AND TXWY EXCURSIONS RPTED AT OUR COMPANY ALONE. I BELIEVE THAT A JOINT INDUSTRY FAA REVIEW PANEL SHOULD BE CONVENED TO EVALUATE WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A FLAWED DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A MANDATORY REFIT OF ALL ACFT BEFORE ANY MORE ACCIDENTS OR INCIDENTS OCCUR.
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.