Narrative:

When initially receiving my aircraft in ewr the inbound crew had written up the landing gear handle in the maintenance manual as being stiff. Company mechanics cleared the aircraft for flight after an inspection. En route from ewr to syr I experienced the stiff gear handle, stiff flap handle and stiff and degraded performance in the flight controls. Landing at syr the brake pedals would deflect only partially. I entered all of the above problems in the maintenance manual at syr. Contract maintenance found a large build up of ice in the wheel wells covering the control cables for brakes, aileron, gear and flaps. It was assumed the ice build up had occurred gradually because of snowy WX over the last 2 days in the northeast/central parts of the USA where the aircraft operates. The ice was removed, and after an inspection the return flight to ewr was commenced. All controls operated normally after de-icing. On takeoff from syr the gear handle would not raise out of the down detent position. Flight controls started to stiffen. I made an immediate decision to leave the aircraft configured as it was and make a close in pattern to the left for an immediate return to landing at syr. Crash trucks were requested as a precaution only. An emergency was not declared. On T/D the brake pedals would not deflect. The aircraft was stopped using reverse thrust. Toward the end of the landing rollout I regained enough brake effectiveness to safely taxi. Again, an extreme amount of ice build up was found on the control cables in the wheel wells. Company maintenance was flown in to examine the aircraft. It was found the potable water lines had burst over the wheel well area and water was pouring down and freezing instantly, resulting in immovable control cables. Better overnight procedures for overnight aircraft in severe cold WX cities need to be developed. Contract maintenance unfamiliar with aircraft type should not be allowed to work on aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FLT CONTROLS, LNDG GEAR HANDLE AND FLAP HANDLE OPERATION RESTRICTED DUE TO LARGE BUILDUP OF ICE IN THE WHEEL WELL AREA.

Narrative: WHEN INITIALLY RECEIVING MY ACFT IN EWR THE INBND CREW HAD WRITTEN UP THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE IN THE MAINT MANUAL AS BEING STIFF. COMPANY MECHS CLRED THE ACFT FOR FLT AFTER AN INSPECTION. ENRTE FROM EWR TO SYR I EXPERIENCED THE STIFF GEAR HANDLE, STIFF FLAP HANDLE AND STIFF AND DEGRADED PERFORMANCE IN THE FLT CONTROLS. LNDG AT SYR THE BRAKE PEDALS WOULD DEFLECT ONLY PARTIALLY. I ENTERED ALL OF THE ABOVE PROBS IN THE MAINT MANUAL AT SYR. CONTRACT MAINT FOUND A LARGE BUILD UP OF ICE IN THE WHEEL WELLS COVERING THE CONTROL CABLES FOR BRAKES, AILERON, GEAR AND FLAPS. IT WAS ASSUMED THE ICE BUILD UP HAD OCCURRED GRADUALLY BECAUSE OF SNOWY WX OVER THE LAST 2 DAYS IN THE NE/CENTRAL PARTS OF THE USA WHERE THE ACFT OPERATES. THE ICE WAS REMOVED, AND AFTER AN INSPECTION THE RETURN FLT TO EWR WAS COMMENCED. ALL CONTROLS OPERATED NORMALLY AFTER DE-ICING. ON TKOF FROM SYR THE GEAR HANDLE WOULD NOT RAISE OUT OF THE DOWN DETENT POS. FLT CTLS STARTED TO STIFFEN. I MADE AN IMMEDIATE DECISION TO LEAVE THE ACFT CONFIGURED AS IT WAS AND MAKE A CLOSE IN PATTERN TO THE LEFT FOR AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO LNDG AT SYR. CRASH TRUCKS WERE REQUESTED AS A PRECAUTION ONLY. AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED. ON T/D THE BRAKE PEDALS WOULD NOT DEFLECT. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED USING REVERSE THRUST. TOWARD THE END OF THE LNDG ROLLOUT I REGAINED ENOUGH BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS TO SAFELY TAXI. AGAIN, AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF ICE BUILD UP WAS FOUND ON THE CONTROL CABLES IN THE WHEEL WELLS. COMPANY MAINT WAS FLOWN IN TO EXAMINE THE ACFT. IT WAS FOUND THE POTABLE WATER LINES HAD BURST OVER THE WHEEL WELL AREA AND WATER WAS POURING DOWN AND FREEZING INSTANTLY, RESULTING IN IMMOVABLE CTL CABLES. BETTER OVERNIGHT PROCS FOR OVERNIGHT ACFT IN SEVERE COLD WX CITIES NEED TO BE DEVELOPED. CONTRACT MAINT UNFAMILIAR WITH ACFT TYPE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO WORK ON ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.