Narrative:

Landing runway 35R abi, tx. Landed the aircraft slowing the aircraft down to make the appropriate taxiway. Flying a metroliner III aircraft. Went to engage the nosewheel steering button. The aircraft veered to the left. I put maximum braking and maximum reversers, but aircraft kept veering toward the side of runway and we slid off into the grass. No injury, no structural damage. The result of the aircraft swerving was uncommanded hydraulic pressure to change the nosewheel to go to the left. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter confirmed aircraft was a fairchild metropolitan III. Reporter first officer was flying and says that when he engaged the nosewheel steering button, the aircraft veered sharply to the left and departed the runway. The probable cause, according to reporter, was a failure of hydraulic system putting full pressure causing the nosewheel to cock to the left or the electrical signal to the hydraulic system. Reporter says that other aircraft of the same make/model have had similar problems. The NTSB, FAA and the reporter's director of flight operations are all investigating. Because there was a strong crosswind at the time of the excursion, that is also being investigated as the cause.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAIRCHILD METRO III ACFT AFTER LNDG DEPARTED RWY. ACCORDING TO RPTR THERE WAS A SYS FAILURE IN THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING, BUT ON CALLBACK WAS UNSURE WHAT THE CAUSE. NTSB AND FAA INVESTIGATING. POSSIBLY CAUSED BY STRONG XWIND AND INVESTIGATION LOOKING INTO THAT.

Narrative: LNDG RWY 35R ABI, TX. LANDED THE ACFT SLOWING THE ACFT DOWN TO MAKE THE APPROPRIATE TXWY. FLYING A METROLINER III ACFT. WENT TO ENGAGE THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING BUTTON. THE ACFT VEERED TO THE L. I PUT MAX BRAKING AND MAX REVERSERS, BUT ACFT KEPT VEERING TOWARD THE SIDE OF RWY AND WE SLID OFF INTO THE GRASS. NO INJURY, NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE RESULT OF THE ACFT SWERVING WAS UNCOMMANDED HYD PRESSURE TO CHANGE THE NOSEWHEEL TO GO TO THE L. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CONFIRMED ACFT WAS A FAIRCHILD METRO III. RPTR FO WAS FLYING AND SAYS THAT WHEN HE ENGAGED THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING BUTTON, THE ACFT VEERED SHARPLY TO THE L AND DEPARTED THE RWY. THE PROBABLE CAUSE, ACCORDING TO RPTR, WAS A FAILURE OF HYD SYS PUTTING FULL PRESSURE CAUSING THE NOSEWHEEL TO COCK TO THE L OR THE ELECTRICAL SIGNAL TO THE HYD SYS. RPTR SAYS THAT OTHER ACFT OF THE SAME MAKE/MODEL HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBS. THE NTSB, FAA AND THE RPTR'S DIRECTOR OF FLT OPS ARE ALL INVESTIGATING. BECAUSE THERE WAS A STRONG XWIND AT THE TIME OF THE EXCURSION, THAT IS ALSO BEING INVESTIGATED AS THE CAUSE.

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.