Accident Overview
The airplane collided with a berm following a loss of directional control while landing. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a positioning flight.
Crew Actions and Event Sequence
During the takeoff roll, the pilots reported encountering what they believed were rough spots on the runway. After takeoff, the captain called for the co-pilot to raise the landing gear and engage the yaw damper. Shortly thereafter, the crew observed an unsafe gear indication for the nose gear. The captain stated that they leveled off at 5,000 feet and reduced airspeed to recycle the landing gear, but cycling did not resolve the problem.
The crew then requested and received clearance to return to the departure airport. Upon approach, the landing gear was extended, and a gear-down-and-locked indication was observed for all three landing gear.
Landing and Post-Accident Findings
The captain reported that on touchdown, the co-pilot extended the spoilers and armed the thrust reversers. After the nose wheel touched down, the airplane made a sharp left turn and traveled off the side of the runway, through the grass. The airplane contacted a four-foot-high berm before coming to a stop on another runway.
The captain attempted to taxi the airplane but discovered that nose wheel steering was unavailable. A post-accident inspection revealed that the seal on the nose gear strut had failed, which prevented the nose gear from centering.