FLC COULD NOT GET NOSE GEAR UP AND LOCKED INDICATION. FLC RECYCLED THE NOSE GEAR WITHOUT SUCCESS. FLC LANDED AT ARPT WHERE MAINT WAS AVAILABLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE ON THE RWY. THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WAS FLAT AND PREVENTED THE NOSE GEAR FROM FULLY RETRACTING; WHICH KEPT THE NOSE GEAR DOOR FROM CLOSING. THE FLAT STRUT ALSO PREVENTED THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING FROM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ON THE LNDG ROLL THE FLC COULD NOT KEEP THE ACFT ON THE RWY AND HIT RWY EDGE LIGHT.

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ON JAN/SAT/96 I WAS ACTING AS PIC ON A PART 91 REPOSITIONING FLT FROM APA TO FXE. WE HAD DEPARTED APA AT XA00Z WITH THE HOPES OF MAKING IT NONSTOP TO FXE (TAILWIND WAS VERY STRONG AND DIRECT ROUTING WAS EXPECTED AT THAT TIME OF MORNING). UPON DEP FROM APA; THE NOSE GEAR DOORS FAILED TO CLOSE TIGHT ENOUGH TO EXTINGUISH THE RED UNSAFE LIGHT. WE RECYCLED THE GEAR A FEW TIMES BUT THE PROB REMAINED. WE DECIDED THIS WAS NOT AN EMER; KEPT THE AIRSPD BELOW 200 KIAS AND PLANNED A STOP IN ICT; KS; FOR MAINT HELP. THE WX IN ICT WAS COLD AND SNOWING BUT RWY CONDITIONS WERE GOOD AND WINDS WERE NOT EXCESSIVE. BEFORE LNDG THE GEAR CAME DOWN AND GEAR DOORS CLOSED NORMALLY. THE SIC WAS THE PF AND MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE AND UPON LOWERING THE NOSEWHEEL; THE ACFT PULLED SHARPLY TO THE L. I ASSISTED THE PF BY APPLYING FULL R RUDDER; BRAKES; AND REVERSE THRUST ON THE R ENG. I ALSO STOWED THE REVERSER ON THE L ENG AND ENGAGED THE ELECTRIC STEERING BUT THE ACFT STILL DRIFTED L AND KNOCKED DOWN A RWY EDGE LIGHT BEFORE STOPPING APPROX 5-10 FT OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. I WAS ABLE TO APPLY PWR AND TAXI BACK ONTO THE RWY WITHOUT INCIDENT (THE GND WAS FROZEN AND AS HARD AS CONCRETE). AFTER TAXIING TO THE FBO; I EXITED THE ACFT TO FIND THE NOSE STRUT WAS COMPLETELY FLAT (A PROB WE HAD HAD EARLIER IN THE TRIP BUT THOUGHT WE HAD CORRECTED IN HOUSTON). I BELIEVE THE REASON FOR THE ACFT PULLING TO THE L WAS THE STRUT WAS FULLY COMPRESSED; METAL TO METAL AND WITH THE EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE NOSEWHEEL UNDER BRAKING EVEN THE STEERING COULD NOT PULL IT FROM ITS OFF-CTR POS. I FOUND OUT FROM MAINT THAT THIS WAS ALSO THE REASON THE GEAR DOORS WOULD NOT CLOSE; THE STRUT WAS NOT EXTENDING THE LATCH ATTACHED TO THE NOSE GEAR FAR ENOUGH TO CATCH THE UPLOCK. I HAD CHKED THE STRUT EXTENSION IN DENVER BEFORE DEP AND FOUND IT TO BE WITHIN THE NORMAL EXTENSION BUT IT APPARENTLY WAS NOT ENOUGH. THE PROB OF THE ESCAPING STRUT PRESSURE WAS FOUND TO BE A BAD O-RING ON THE SCHRADER VALVE (SOMETHING MAINT IN HOUSTON DID NOT CHK). I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IF THE STRUT WAS LOW ON AIR AND THE ACFT LIFTED OFF THE GND; THE WHEEL WOULD FREE FALL TO THE EXTENDED POS; BUT EVIDENTLY A VACUUM IN THE STRUT DOES NOT ALLOW IT TO DROP FREELY. VERY MINIMAL DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE ACFT BY THE RWY LIGHT (MOSTLY COSMETIC) AND WE RPTED THE DOWNED LIGHT TO THE TWR SUPVR.