Commuter light transport made a takeoff with 1' of packed snow on tail surfaces. Control vibration c...

Attributes
ACN	104586
Time
Date	198902
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cid
State Reference	IA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4800
ASRS Report	104586
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Scheduled to fly back to cmh. First officer did a thorough preflight. Repositioned aircraft away from piles of snow (as the ramp personnel had swept the snow off the wings and tail earlier in the day). As we boarded I did a walk around to assure cowlings closed, etc, and to check for frost on the wings. It was clearing, but had been overcast at our arrival. The aircraft was clear of frost or snow, etc. The takeoff was normal until at 400' AGL I called for flaps up. When the flaps came up, the control wheel began a jerking motion in my hand, never more that 1 or 2' back or forth. I brought the power back and decided to return. When we put the flaps back out and the vibration went away. I repositioned the aircraft back to the FBO to have a mechanic look at the tail. On the horizontal stabilizer we found on both sides near the fuselage an area of frozen snow, approximately 1' thick and about 8-10' in diameter. This area cannot be seen on a normal preflight. We had the aircraft de-iced and he signed it off to do a test flight. During that flight everything was normal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT MADE A TKOF WITH 1' OF PACKED SNOW ON TAIL SURFACES. CONTROL VIBRATION CAUSED FLT CREW TO RETURN LAND FOR POSTFLT INSPECTION.

Narrative: SCHEDULED TO FLY BACK TO CMH. F/O DID A THOROUGH PREFLT. REPOSITIONED ACFT AWAY FROM PILES OF SNOW (AS THE RAMP PERSONNEL HAD SWEPT THE SNOW OFF THE WINGS AND TAIL EARLIER IN THE DAY). AS WE BOARDED I DID A WALK AROUND TO ASSURE COWLINGS CLOSED, ETC, AND TO CHK FOR FROST ON THE WINGS. IT WAS CLEARING, BUT HAD BEEN OVCST AT OUR ARR. THE ACFT WAS CLEAR OF FROST OR SNOW, ETC. THE TKOF WAS NORMAL UNTIL AT 400' AGL I CALLED FOR FLAPS UP. WHEN THE FLAPS CAME UP, THE CONTROL WHEEL BEGAN A JERKING MOTION IN MY HAND, NEVER MORE THAT 1 OR 2' BACK OR FORTH. I BROUGHT THE PWR BACK AND DECIDED TO RETURN. WHEN WE PUT THE FLAPS BACK OUT AND THE VIBRATION WENT AWAY. I REPOSITIONED THE ACFT BACK TO THE FBO TO HAVE A MECH LOOK AT THE TAIL. ON THE HORIZ STABILIZER WE FOUND ON BOTH SIDES NEAR THE FUSELAGE AN AREA OF FROZEN SNOW, APPROX 1' THICK AND ABOUT 8-10' IN DIAMETER. THIS AREA CANNOT BE SEEN ON A NORMAL PREFLT. WE HAD THE ACFT DE-ICED AND HE SIGNED IT OFF TO DO A TEST FLT. DURING THAT FLT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL.

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.

Commuter light transport made a takeoff with 1' of packed snow on tail surfaces. Control vibration caused flight crew to return land for postflt inspection.