# Incident 20040810019009I: Dhav DHC6300, Grand Canyon, AZ, August 10, 2004

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 10, 2004, 15:20 local time
- Place: Grand Canyon, AZ
- Airport: Grand Canyon National Park
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: OEZA
- Location: 35.9524° N, 112.1470° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9524&lon=-112.1470&mi=10
- Aircraft: N147SA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DHAV DHC6300
- People aboard: 21
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 8,009 total, 1,094 in this make and model, 130 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040810019009I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) WHILE LANDING AT GCN, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT WITH THE NOSE GEAR AND A FRANGIBLE TAXIWAY SIGN WITH THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. WITNESSES WHO OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ON FINAL, STATED THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE TURNED NEARLY 90 DEGREES TO THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT. INSPECTION OF THE NOSE TIRE AT THE SCENE REVEALED CUPPING THAT APPEARED TO BE NEARLY 90 DEGREES TO THE DIRECTION OF LANDING. THE SWERVE MADE BY THE AIRCRAFT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO ROLL THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE OFF OF ITS RIM CAUSING IT TO DEFLATE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF THREE INTERRELATED ISSUES. THE MAINTENANCE OF THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING CENTERING DEVICE AND INDICATOR; THE DESIGN OF THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING SYSTEM; AND INADEQUATE PILOT OPERATING PROCEDURES. AFTER RECOVERING THE AIRCRAFT, THE OPERATOR DISCOVERED THAT WITH THE COCKPIT NOSE WHEEL STEERING INDICATOR ALIGNED, THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING COLLAR DID NOT QUITE ALIGN WITH THE CENTERING TANG WHICH PREVENTED THE NOSE WHEEL FROM LOCKING IN THE CENTERED POSITION WHILE AIRBORNE. WHILE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE CLEARANCES IN THE SYSTEM WERE WITHIN TOLERANCE, WHEN COMBINED,IN THIS CASE, THEY APPARENTLY PREVENTED THE NOSE WHEEL FROM BEING LOCKED IN THE CENTERED POSITION. THE OPERATOR HAS REVISED THEIR INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES IN AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN TIGHTER TOLERANCES WITHIN THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING SYSTEM. REGARDING DESIGN OF THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING SYSTEM, THE HANDLE IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE YOKE AND APPEARS CAPABLE OF BEING ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED. THIS WOULD CAUSE AN UNLATCHED NOSE WHEEL TO MOVE FROM A CENTERED POSITION AS ON THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT. FINALLY, THE OPERATOR LACKED A PROCEDURE THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT THE NOSE WHEEL WAS, IN FACT, CENTERED AND LATCHED. THIS INCIDENT HAS BEEN RESOLVED BY THE PUBLICATION OF A NEW PILOT PROCEDURE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BOTH AFTER TAKE-OFF AND BEFORE LANDING. THE PROCEDURE IS TO MOVE THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING LEVER UP AND DOWN IN ORDER TO FEEL THAT THE NOSE GEAR HAD MECHANICALLY LOCKED INTO THE CENTER POSITION.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.