EMB-145 DRIFTED UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE LEFT AFTER TOUCHDOWN; STRIKING A RWY LIGHT BEFORE CONTROL WAS REGAINED.

Narrative

I BEGAN THE DAY WITH A ZZZ1 TURN; THEN THE ZZZ LEG. THE ZZZ1 TURN HAD WX ENRTE; BUT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE ZZZ LEG HAD WX ON DEP; BUT WAS GOOD THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. UPON OUR INITIAL DSCNT INTO THE ZZZ AREA; AN ADVISORY EICAS MESSAGE; HYD 1 LOW QUANTITY; APPEARED. THE AOM VOLUME #1 WAS REFED AND CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED. THE HYD PAGE WAS MONITORED WITH NO CHANGES. I THEN LISTENED TO THE ATIS. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE CALM WINDS AND THAT WE WOULD USE RWY XX AND USE FLAPS 22 DEGS. AT GEAR EXTENSION; THE EICAS MESSAGE EXTINGUISHED. THE CAPT FLEW A STABILIZED APCH AND MADE A SMOOTH LNDG IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. THE NOSEWHEEL SMOOTHLY TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY AT WHICH TIME THE ACFT BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE L. THE CAPT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE RWY CTRLINE. AFTER THE ACFT SLOWED AND DIRECTIONAL CTL WAS REGAINED; THE CAPT EXITED THE RWY. WE THEN CONTACTED THE TWR AND NOTIFIED THEM OF A POSSIBLE RWY LIGHT STRIKE. WE PERFORMED THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS WITH THE APU RUNNING. THE CAPT SPOKE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX TO INFORM THEM OF THE SITUATION AND ENSURE NO ONE WAS INJURED. DISPATCH; MAINT; AND ZZZ OPS WERE THEN ALL CONTACTED. WE WAITED ON THE TXWY UNTIL CONTRACT MAINT COULD CONFIRM IT WAS SAFE TO BE TOWED IN. WE WERE TOWED TO THE GATE; DEPLANED OUR PAX AND PERFORMED THE PARKING AND TERMINATING CHKLISTS. THE CAPT MADE THE MAINT LOG ENTRY. I CONDUCTED A POSTFLT INSPECTION. THE FRONT TIRES WERE BALD AND THE #2 TIRE WAS DAMAGED AND THE WHEEL WELL CONTAINED FOD. WE THEN SUBMITTED TO THE ALCOHOL TESTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT RUNWAY INSPECTION REVEALED NOSEWHEEL SKID MARKS ON RWY CENTERLINE; THEN VEERING TO THE LEFT TOWARD RWY EDGE. THE PLT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CENTERLINE UNTIL RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS WAS LOST AS SPEED WAS REDUCED. AS THE ACFT APPROACHED THE RWY EDGE; DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING BECAME MORE EFFECTIVE AND DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS REGAINED. APPARENTLY; THIS ACFT TYPE EXHIBITS AN ANOMALY WHEREBY THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING INITIATES AN UNCOMMANDED TURN. A PROCEDURE FOR 'UNCOMMANDED SWERVING' IS DETAILED IN THE PLT'S HANDBOOK.