In a hydraulic system, failure of the nose wheel steering system results in what outcome?

• A. Allows the nose wheel to swivel
• B. Nose wheel locks straight ahead
• C. Steering becomes unpredictable
• D. Hydraulic fluid loss is halted

Answer: (A)

When the nose wheel steering system’s hydraulics fail, the actuator loses the pressure that positions and locks the nose wheel. Without that hydraulic control, the nose wheel is no longer held in a fixed, straight-ahead position and can swivel freely—often described as free-castering. This is why the outcome is that the nose wheel is allowed to swivel.

This isn’t about fluid stopping or about the wheel being forced to stay straight; it’s about losing the hydraulic lock and actuation, which removes the restraint that kept the wheel aligned.