Narrative:

After we were cleared into position and hold on runway; the steer inoperative EICAS message appeared. I pressed down on the tiller again and the message went away; but we heard a constant thumping sound when it was engaged. As a precaution we cleared the runway. As we were straightening out on taxiway K the steer inoperative message appeared again. Operations was called; and we were towed back to the gate. The discrepancy was entered into the logbook and maintenance was called.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 CAPT REPORTS STEERING INOP EICAS MESSAGE AND THUMPING SOUND WHEN TILLER IS HELD DOWN. FLT CREW RETURNS TO GATE.

Narrative: AFTER WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY; THE STEER INOP EICAS MESSAGE APPEARED. I PRESSED DOWN ON THE TILLER AGAIN AND THE MESSAGE WENT AWAY; BUT WE HEARD A CONSTANT THUMPING SOUND WHEN IT WAS ENGAGED. AS A PRECAUTION WE CLRED THE RWY. AS WE WERE STRAIGHTENING OUT ON TXWY K THE STEER INOP MESSAGE APPEARED AGAIN. OPS WAS CALLED; AND WE WERE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. THE DISCREPANCY WAS ENTERED INTO THE LOGBOOK AND MAINT WAS CALLED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.