Aircraft experienced aileron control binding problem. Declared an emergency.

Attributes
ACN	166697
Time
Date	199012
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zma
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mia tracon : mia tower : mia tower : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zma
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	166697
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Previous PIREP #69 reported aileron control binding. Maintenance lubricated the control cables and could not duplicate problem. The inbound captain wrote up no items, but did say there was a slight stiffness in the ailerons and to refer to item #69. The first officer made the departure, and reported a slight reduction in control freedom. I advised miami center we may have a problem, as well as dispatch. During cruise the problem became worse. I assumed duties of 'PF' and requested lower altitude, hoping that warmer air would help if ice was at fault. It did not help. I declared an emergency with miami center, and requested that they relay a request to miami approach for a wide pattern, with large radius turns and to miami tower for crash fire rescue equipment equipment to standby for our landing. F/as were advised to prepare for an emergency landing in 30 mins. Miami center and approach control were very helpful. We were vectored for an ILS runway 9R at mia. The pattern was wide and the turn rate low. Our handling to this point was excellent, then we were changed over to miami tower. Tower cleared us to land runway 9R hold short of runway 12 departing traffic. We asked if crash fire rescue equipment equipment was standing by for our emergency landing. Tower advised that was affirmative, and to 'disregard the hold short of runway 12 restriction. Departing traffic will hold for you.' we asked for a wind check at least 4 times, but tower kept giving instructions to other aircraft, and would not respond to us. Needless to say with roll control difficulties, surface wind is critical. After landing, tower twice tried to 'expedite' us off the runway while fire truck was parked on the highspd. We slowly turned onto the highspd and waited for the fire truck to move. Meanwhile tower cleared another aircraft to land. We were stopped 1/2 over the runway hold line. Tower either was not advised of our serious emergency condition, or failed to provide professional service.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EXPERIENCED AILERON CONTROL BINDING PROBLEM. DECLARED AN EMERGENCY.

Narrative: PREVIOUS PIREP #69 RPTED AILERON CTL BINDING. MAINT LUBRICATED THE CTL CABLES AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROB. THE INBND CAPT WROTE UP NO ITEMS, BUT DID SAY THERE WAS A SLIGHT STIFFNESS IN THE AILERONS AND TO REFER TO ITEM #69. THE F/O MADE THE DEP, AND RPTED A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN CTL FREEDOM. I ADVISED MIAMI CTR WE MAY HAVE A PROB, AS WELL AS DISPATCH. DURING CRUISE THE PROB BECAME WORSE. I ASSUMED DUTIES OF 'PF' AND REQUESTED LOWER ALT, HOPING THAT WARMER AIR WOULD HELP IF ICE WAS AT FAULT. IT DID NOT HELP. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH MIAMI CTR, AND REQUESTED THAT THEY RELAY A REQUEST TO MIAMI APCH FOR A WIDE PATTERN, WITH LARGE RADIUS TURNS AND TO MIAMI TWR FOR CFR EQUIP TO STANDBY FOR OUR LNDG. F/AS WERE ADVISED TO PREPARE FOR AN EMER LNDG IN 30 MINS. MIAMI CTR AND APCH CTL WERE VERY HELPFUL. WE WERE VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 9R AT MIA. THE PATTERN WAS WIDE AND THE TURN RATE LOW. OUR HANDLING TO THIS POINT WAS EXCELLENT, THEN WE WERE CHANGED OVER TO MIAMI TWR. TWR CLRED US TO LAND RWY 9R HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12 DEPARTING TFC. WE ASKED IF CFR EQUIP WAS STANDING BY FOR OUR EMER LNDG. TWR ADVISED THAT WAS AFFIRMATIVE, AND TO 'DISREGARD THE HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12 RESTRICTION. DEPARTING TFC WILL HOLD FOR YOU.' WE ASKED FOR A WIND CHK AT LEAST 4 TIMES, BUT TWR KEPT GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT, AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO US. NEEDLESS TO SAY WITH ROLL CTL DIFFICULTIES, SURFACE WIND IS CRITICAL. AFTER LNDG, TWR TWICE TRIED TO 'EXPEDITE' US OFF THE RWY WHILE FIRE TRUCK WAS PARKED ON THE HIGHSPD. WE SLOWLY TURNED ONTO THE HIGHSPD AND WAITED FOR THE FIRE TRUCK TO MOVE. MEANWHILE TWR CLRED ANOTHER ACFT TO LAND. WE WERE STOPPED 1/2 OVER THE RWY HOLD LINE. TWR EITHER WAS NOT ADVISED OF OUR SERIOUS EMER CONDITION, OR FAILED TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL SVC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.