What happened
On March 23, 2020, a SAAB 340A, registration SP-KPV, was preparing for a scheduled flight from Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA) to Manchester (UKKK). While taxiing toward runway 15, the pilot noticed a malfunction in the nose gear steering system, reporting that making turns in either direction was extremely difficult.
Following the discovery, the crew contacted the Tower controller and received permission to return to the parking stand. Upon inspection by the operator's maintenance personnel, the malfunction of the nose gear steering system was confirmed, and the aircraft was subsequently withdrawn from flight operations.
The investigation
Technical staff investigated the steering system and identified a potential fault within the nose gear steering actuator. Following the procedures outlined in the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM), the maintenance team replaced the actuator and performed system tests, which yielded positive results. The aircraft was then returned to operational service.
Findings
- The investigation determined that the most probable cause of the steering difficulty was the operational wear of the nose gear steering actuator, which is a component replaced on an "on-condition" basis rather than at fixed intervals.