Narrative:

I recently piloted an airplane that was difficult to steer on the ground, to the point where I felt it was unsafe. The crew flying the airplane the day before, felt the nosewheel steering was slightly unresponsive. After the crew documented the problem, maintenance elected not to fix the problem but to defer the repairs. Our airline's MEL allows for continued passenger operation without nosewheel steering for a period of 10 days, providing maintenance fully disconnects the steering linkage. After disconnecting the linkage the airplane can still be turned on the ground by using differential power and braking. However I quickly learned that taxiing an airplane in this condition is very difficult to do. In our daily operations we make tight 180 degree turns and taxi off the gate. It is next to impossible to taxi off the gate without nosewheel steering. A free castering nosewheel may work well on a 1600 pound grumman yankee, but from experience it is not practical to operate a 16000 pound beech airliner in this manner. The aircraft required an extreme amount of power on the outboard engine to make the airplane turn. You can imagine the amount of dust and debris I was creating at the gate. Would you call this a 'safe operation?' in the interest of safety, I wanted to refuse to fly this airplane but sadly I did not refuse. As a captain, I found it difficult to refuse to fly an airplane that the FAA and my company deemed 'airworthy.' I would like to see this MEL abolished. If removing the MEL is not possible, then at the very least, require pushbacks at the gate when exercising this MEL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 1900D WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED WITH THE NOSE GEAR STEERING INOP PER THE MEL. FLC QUESTIONS THE SAFETY OF DEFERRING NOSE GEAR STEERING.

Narrative: I RECENTLY PILOTED AN AIRPLANE THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER ON THE GND, TO THE POINT WHERE I FELT IT WAS UNSAFE. THE CREW FLYING THE AIRPLANE THE DAY BEFORE, FELT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WAS SLIGHTLY UNRESPONSIVE. AFTER THE CREW DOCUMENTED THE PROB, MAINT ELECTED NOT TO FIX THE PROB BUT TO DEFER THE REPAIRS. OUR AIRLINE'S MEL ALLOWS FOR CONTINUED PAX OP WITHOUT NOSEWHEEL STEERING FOR A PERIOD OF 10 DAYS, PROVIDING MAINT FULLY DISCONNECTS THE STEERING LINKAGE. AFTER DISCONNECTING THE LINKAGE THE AIRPLANE CAN STILL BE TURNED ON THE GND BY USING DIFFERENTIAL PWR AND BRAKING. HOWEVER I QUICKLY LEARNED THAT TAXIING AN AIRPLANE IN THIS CONDITION IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO. IN OUR DAILY OPS WE MAKE TIGHT 180 DEG TURNS AND TAXI OFF THE GATE. IT IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO TAXI OFF THE GATE WITHOUT NOSEWHEEL STEERING. A FREE CASTERING NOSEWHEEL MAY WORK WELL ON A 1600 LB GRUMMAN YANKEE, BUT FROM EXPERIENCE IT IS NOT PRACTICAL TO OPERATE A 16000 LB BEECH AIRLINER IN THIS MANNER. THE ACFT REQUIRED AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF PWR ON THE OUTBOARD ENG TO MAKE THE AIRPLANE TURN. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF DUST AND DEBRIS I WAS CREATING AT THE GATE. WOULD YOU CALL THIS A 'SAFE OP?' IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, I WANTED TO REFUSE TO FLY THIS AIRPLANE BUT SADLY I DID NOT REFUSE. AS A CAPT, I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO REFUSE TO FLY AN AIRPLANE THAT THE FAA AND MY COMPANY DEEMED 'AIRWORTHY.' I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS MEL ABOLISHED. IF REMOVING THE MEL IS NOT POSSIBLE, THEN AT THE VERY LEAST, REQUIRE PUSHBACKS AT THE GATE WHEN EXERCISING THIS MEL.

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.