What happened
The flight began under challenging ground conditions at the departure airport, where the runway surface was reported as slippery. During the taxi phase, the pilot encountered difficulty navigating a turn onto the active runway. To correct the aircraft's heading, the nosewheel steering system was engaged momentarily to straighten the nose. However, the system was disengaged before the start of the takeoff roll.
Upon arrival at the destination airport, the aircraft touched down at approximately 115 knots. Immediately upon main gear contact, the aircraft began to veer sharply to the right. The pilot applied full left brake pressure and full left rudder input in an attempt to regain directional control, but these inputs were insufficient to counteract the swerve.
The investigation
Following the incident, maintenance personnel examined the nose gear steering actuator to determine if a mechanical failure contributed to the event. The inspection revealed no evidence of malfunction within the actuator or associated hydraulic components. The physical integrity of the steering system was confirmed to be intact.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the loss of directional control was the configuration of the nose gear prior to takeoff. Standard operating procedures for this aircraft type require that the nosewheel steering switch remain off during the takeoff roll and that the pilot verify the nose wheel is in caster mode. This verification is typically performed by displacing the nose left or right using asymmetric engine power or brakes while turning onto the runway.
Because the steering was disengaged prior to the takeoff roll, the nose gear remained in a free-castering state. At high landing speeds, this lack of active steering authority made it difficult for the pilot to maintain the runway centerline. The slippery runway conditions likely exacerbated the difficulty in correcting the initial deviation.
Safety message
Operators must adhere strictly to procedures regarding nosewheel steering configuration. The system should not be armed until after the subsequent landing is completed and aircraft speed has reduced below 10 knots. Pilots must verify caster mode before every takeoff when turning onto the runway to ensure proper handling characteristics during high-speed ground operations.