Air carrier flying an SA227 leaves runway at lynchburg, va, with nosewheel steering problems.

Attributes
ACN	462936
Time
Date	200002
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lyh.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SA-227 AC Metro III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 4875 flight time type : 940
ASRS Report	462936
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical excursion : runway other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : weather
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Company Weather Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After making a normal visual approach and landing to runway 21 at lyh (while transitioning to taxi), ie, aerodynamic flight control had decayed. I armed the nosewheel steering system with the arming switch and attempted to engage the nosewheel steering engage button on the power lever. The nosewheel steering at first seemed to engage for about a half second, then I realized I had lost or never had nosewheel steering. The aircraft was by this time veering to the right towards a snow berm at the runway edge. I used all the opposite reverse available and maximum braking, but it looked like at least the right main would exit the runway. At this time I stopped and feathered both engines to prevent damage to propellers and engines while still utilizing maximum braking. The aircraft came to a stop with the nosewheel approximately 15 ft off the runway and the right mains 12 inches off with no damage to occupants or aircraft. Upon inspection the nosewheel steering engage button assembly was found to be loose. The aircraft had been sitting for a week alternately freezing and thawing which could have caused condensation to form in and around the microswitch (nosewheel steering). Additionally, by the way the aircraft pulled to the right it could have possibly had a frozen brake.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLYING AN SA227 LEAVES RWY AT LYNCHBURG, VA, WITH NOSEWHEEL STEERING PROBS.

Narrative: AFTER MAKING A NORMAL VISUAL APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 21 AT LYH (WHILE TRANSITIONING TO TAXI), IE, AERODYNAMIC FLT CTL HAD DECAYED. I ARMED THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYS WITH THE ARMING SWITCH AND ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING ENGAGE BUTTON ON THE PWR LEVER. THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING AT FIRST SEEMED TO ENGAGE FOR ABOUT A HALF SECOND, THEN I REALIZED I HAD LOST OR NEVER HAD NOSEWHEEL STEERING. THE ACFT WAS BY THIS TIME VEERING TO THE R TOWARDS A SNOW BERM AT THE RWY EDGE. I USED ALL THE OPPOSITE REVERSE AVAILABLE AND MAX BRAKING, BUT IT LOOKED LIKE AT LEAST THE R MAIN WOULD EXIT THE RWY. AT THIS TIME I STOPPED AND FEATHERED BOTH ENGS TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO PROPS AND ENGS WHILE STILL UTILIZING MAX BRAKING. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP WITH THE NOSEWHEEL APPROX 15 FT OFF THE RWY AND THE R MAINS 12 INCHES OFF WITH NO DAMAGE TO OCCUPANTS OR ACFT. UPON INSPECTION THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING ENGAGE BUTTON ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND TO BE LOOSE. THE ACFT HAD BEEN SITTING FOR A WK ALTERNATELY FREEZING AND THAWING WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED CONDENSATION TO FORM IN AND AROUND THE MICROSWITCH (NOSEWHEEL STEERING). ADDITIONALLY, BY THE WAY THE ACFT PULLED TO THE R IT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HAD A FROZEN BRAKE.

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.