Learjet 31 flight crew reported while braking during landing roll the tires locked up resulting in runway excursion and loss of directional control. Pilots regained control and taxied to hangar.
Synopsis
Learjet 31 flight crew reported while braking during landing roll the tires locked up resulting in runway excursion and loss of directional control. Pilots regained control and taxied to hangar.
Narrative
We were bringing the aircraft for phase inspection. ZZZ1 to ZZZ. Flight over was normal. We descended per ATC request. When we got close Approach told us there was a micro burst over the field and we flew vectors until the microburst was done. A 121 operator landed at the field and then we said we were ready. We chose Runway XXL and confirmed the crosswind was within limits. I took the airplane from my First Officer when we were cleared for the approach because he was low hours and he was not allowed to land with the cross wind per our operations specifications. I shot the visual approach backed up by the ILS. I landed in the touch down zone on centerline. The initial landing was fine and I immediately applied full left alierons and rudder to maintain centerline. I also deployed for thrust reversers (TRs). I applied the brakes and the airplane started veering left. I applied full left rudder. I felt pressure on the brake pedals but it did not feel like they were applying. I attempted to engage nose wheel steering by pressing the control wheel master switch. I don't know if it engaged but it did not stop the right turn. We exited the runway into the grass on the right side of the runway. We finally got the airplane stopped. Tower called and we told them to standby; until we were able to check the instruments. We contacted Tower and told them we were going to try and taxi. We we were able to taxi back onto the runway and then onto the taxiway. Ground then cleared us to taxi to the maintenance facility. We parked the jet and got out. I noticed the left main outside tire was blown. Ground operations came over to the plane and took pictures. He showed us a picture of our landing. No one was injured and there was no visible damage to the airplane other than the blown tire. The left main outside tire had locked up and then blown which caused us to lose directional control. The anti-skid system releases the brakes when it senses tire locking up. So we had no brakes and the nose wheel systems probably didn't engage because it's seeing forces it's not designed to sense when engaged. I assume we lost directional control with the rudder as we got slow and the brakes didn't slow us to allow the nose wheel steering system to engage. In retrospect the only thing I could have done to improve the situation was to stow the right TR and kept the left TR fully engaged. The other thing I could have done was to go to a better airport with even less crosswind and waited for the wind to die down more.
Second reporter narrative
We departed ZZZ1 at XA:45 enroute to ZZZ for the airplanes phase inspections. We planned for approximately a 3 hr flight. There were no issues enroute. As we descended into ZZZ they were reporting high winds and microburst so we received delay vectors until the microburst was reported to be over. After delay vectors we received a clearance for the visual Runway XXL and the Captain lined the airplane up with the runway. Our approach speed was increased approximately 1/2 of the existing gust factor and the Captain made the landing with no issue. As soon as the thrust reversers were deployed and the Captain began breaking; the airplane tires locked up and the airplane started drifting right. All corrections that could be done were being made but the airplane would not respond to controls. The airplane then exited the runway into the grass at a slower speed in which the engines stayed running. Once it came to a stop we called Tower and let them know we and the airplane were okay and we thought we blew a tire. We then taxied the aircraft back onto the runway and exited to the maintenance hangar. After exiting the airplane there was no external damage other than the blown tire. Looking back on the event I believe we could have stowed the right thrust reverser as soon as the airplane started drifting right after breaking. That would have alleviated some of the right turning tendency.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.