What happened
During a 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight, the crew of an unidentified aircraft experienced mechanical issues following an initial takeoff. While performing the takeoff roll, the pilots encountered what they perceived to be uneven surfaces on the runway. Shortly after departure, the captain instructed the co-pilot to retract the landing gear and activate the yaw damper. However, the crew observed an unsafe indication regarding the nose gear.
To address the issue, the crew leveled the aircraft at 5,000 feet and reduced airspeed to attempt a landing gear cycle. When cycling the gear failed to rectify the indication, the crew decided to return to their departure airport. Upon the return approach, the crew confirmed that all three landing gear units showed a down and locked status.
During the landing phase, the co-pilot deployed the spoilers and armed the thrust reversers. After the nose wheel made contact with the runway, the aircraft performed a sudden, sharp turn to the left. This maneuver caused the aircraft to veer off the runway surface and travel through a grassy area. The aircraft eventually struck a four-foot high berm before coming to a rest on a different runway. Following the incident, the captain attempted to taxi the aircraft but found that the nose wheel steering was non-functional.
Findings
An inspection of the aircraft following the accident determined that the seal on the nose gear strut had failed. This mechanical failure prevented the nose gear from returning to a centered position, which directly led to the loss of directional control during the landing roll.