Narrative:

Our flight was taxiing for departure in srq on taxiway a to runway 14. Runway 11 was being resurfaced and had a 1 1/2 inch lip that the aircraft had to roll over to get to runway 14. May have damaged a nosewheel steering actuator when it contacted the lip. After takeoff 'a' system quantity read 1 gallon. I smelled oil present in the cockpit after gear retraction and suspected a leak. Gear and flap extension in ewr were normal. On the landing rollout the nosewheel began shimmying and the aircraft drifted left of runway centerline. The aircraft stopped 15 ft left of centerline and the 'a' system went to '0' quantity. The flight crew used a very conservative taxi speed across the lip in srq and still received damage. The airport should have made a less abrupt lip to cross over runway 11. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter did not think that the aircraft was damaged since the nose strut only bottomed out when they crossed runway 11 at srq. However, after takeoff he noted that the 'a' system quantity was about 1 gallon below its normal reading. He reported this to the captain. During the landing rollout at ewr the 'a' system quantity went to '0.' the captain was able to stop the aircraft about 15 ft to the left of centerline. The maintenance personnel found the steering actuator was broken into 2 pieces. The reporter further said that the captain was surprised that the B727-200 had not held the centerline better than it did since there was little crosswind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. ACFT NOSE GEAR STEERING ACTUATOR WAS DAMAGED ON TAXI OUT WHEN THE ACR CROSSED A RWY UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SRQ. LOSS OF 'A' SYS HYDS.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS TAXIING FOR DEP IN SRQ ON TXWY A TO RWY 14. RWY 11 WAS BEING RESURFACED AND HAD A 1 1/2 INCH LIP THAT THE ACFT HAD TO ROLL OVER TO GET TO RWY 14. MAY HAVE DAMAGED A NOSEWHEEL STEERING ACTUATOR WHEN IT CONTACTED THE LIP. AFTER TKOF 'A' SYS QUANTITY READ 1 GALLON. I SMELLED OIL PRESENT IN THE COCKPIT AFTER GEAR RETRACTION AND SUSPECTED A LEAK. GEAR AND FLAP EXTENSION IN EWR WERE NORMAL. ON THE LNDG ROLLOUT THE NOSEWHEEL BEGAN SHIMMYING AND THE ACFT DRIFTED L OF RWY CTRLINE. THE ACFT STOPPED 15 FT L OF CTRLINE AND THE 'A' SYS WENT TO '0' QUANTITY. THE FLC USED A VERY CONSERVATIVE TAXI SPD ACROSS THE LIP IN SRQ AND STILL RECEIVED DAMAGE. THE ARPT SHOULD HAVE MADE A LESS ABRUPT LIP TO CROSS OVER RWY 11. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR DID NOT THINK THAT THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED SINCE THE NOSE STRUT ONLY BOTTOMED OUT WHEN THEY CROSSED RWY 11 AT SRQ. HOWEVER, AFTER TKOF HE NOTED THAT THE 'A' SYS QUANTITY WAS ABOUT 1 GALLON BELOW ITS NORMAL READING. HE RPTED THIS TO THE CAPT. DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT AT EWR THE 'A' SYS QUANTITY WENT TO '0.' THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE ACFT ABOUT 15 FT TO THE L OF CTRLINE. THE MAINT PERSONNEL FOUND THE STEERING ACTUATOR WAS BROKEN INTO 2 PIECES. THE RPTR FURTHER SAID THAT THE CAPT WAS SURPRISED THAT THE B727-200 HAD NOT HELD THE CTRLINE BETTER THAN IT DID SINCE THERE WAS LITTLE XWIND.

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.