Incident Overview
On 19 September 2005 at 0840Z, a Fokker F28-4000 aircraft, registration ZS-XGX, was involved in an incident during a training flight at Lanseria Aerodrome (FALA). The aircraft was operating under visual meteorological conditions with a temperature of 22°C, wind 360/5, and good visibility. There were 7 persons on board (4 crew and 3 others). No injuries were sustained, and aircraft damage was limited to the main wheel tyres only.
Sequence of Events
The pilot and three crew members took off from Runway 06L at FALA for a local flight to conduct a proficiency check on another pilot. After takeoff, the undercarriage was retracted, but the right-hand main landing gear amber light remained illuminated. On the return leg for landing, the pilot decided to confirm that the landing gear was down and locked. The undercarriage system was recycled several times electrically and then lowered manually. Communication with the control tower confirmed the undercarriage was down, and the decision was made to land.
The landing was normal until the pilot corrected a slight left tendency by applying a slight right steering (tiller) input. When attempting to return the tiller to neutral, it became jammed in the right-hand position as the aircraft approached the end of the runway. Both pilots attempted to steer using asymmetric braking, but the nosewheel did not castor as intended. Full braking was applied to prevent the aircraft from departing the runway to the right. The aircraft came to a stop on the right-hand shoulder of the runway. The speed brakes were deployed during the landing and braking action.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft damages were limited to the main wheel tyres only. No injuries were reported among the 7 persons on board.
Probable Cause
During the landing roll, the aircraft steering failed to respond, and the aircraft veered off to the right-hand side of the runway.