Narrative:

Flight from charleston, sc to atl held at sinca intersection approximately 45 mins before diverting to ags because of severe WX in atl. Following a 3 hour delay on the ground in ags, we received our clearance/release to depart for atl. After takeoff from ags, the aileron portion of the flight controls jammed. Very high forces were required to operate this aileron for the remainder of the flight. The flight control check on taxi was normal and the elevator control was normal on takeoff and during flight. We had no cockpit indication to determine what was causing the problem. The abnormal section of the pilot operating manual was checked, but no procedures were available. Based on the deteriorating WX conditions in ags and improvement in atl WX, we made the decision to continue the flight ot atl. An emergency was declared and direct to atl requested. First officer contacted the company maintenance coordinator and dispatcher to advise of our intentions. During cruise, the autoplt operated normally in the pitch mode and 'control wheel steering' in the roll mode. The approach in atl was a hand-flown CAT I ILS/FD using both hands on the control wheel and the automatic throttles. Atl WX had now gone down to 200' ceiling and 1/2 mi visibility, but it was 'time to get on the ground.' maintenance investigation showed the forward air stairs had been stowed by ramp personnel in ags west/O fully retracting the hand rails. This caused damage internally which in turn jammed the aileron control cables. Strongly recommend: 1) additional training for ramp personnel responsible for stowing air stairs; or, 2) limit operation to flight crew members--additional training for flight crews would also be in order. 3) redesign air stairs to prevent this problem. Possibly have the hand rails inside aircraft to them be attached when stair is out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter indicated that a microswitch on the hand RAIL was overridden by the ground crew member by his placing the switch in the standby position. The hand rails, not properly disconnected form the air stair doors, were bent when forced into the aircraft. The gent hand RAIL(south) tore out a cross member beneath the cabin floor, thus breaking off 2 aileron brackets and their pulleys. Additionally, the RAIL was in contact with the aileron cables. The air stair compartment consists of 2 l-brackets, with no protective devices between the door storage area and other vital equipment. The reporter suggests that the aircraft might be fitted with a protective box surrounding the air stair storage area, and that more effort be given to training cabin attendants and ground service personnel. Supplemental information from acn 174586: ramp agent disconnected telescoping portion of air stair handle from aircraft door, closed aircraft door and retracted air stairs from exterior panel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPERLY STOWED AIR STAIR DOOR ON ACR MLG LEADS TO DAMAGE TO STRUCTURE AND BINDING OF CTL CABLES.

Narrative: FLT FROM CHARLESTON, SC TO ATL HELD AT SINCA INTXN APPROX 45 MINS BEFORE DIVERTING TO AGS BECAUSE OF SEVERE WX IN ATL. FOLLOWING A 3 HR DELAY ON THE GND IN AGS, WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC/RELEASE TO DEPART FOR ATL. AFTER TKOF FROM AGS, THE AILERON PORTION OF THE FLT CTLS JAMMED. VERY HIGH FORCES WERE REQUIRED TO OPERATE THIS AILERON FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. THE FLT CTL CHK ON TAXI WAS NORMAL AND THE ELEVATOR CTL WAS NORMAL ON TKOF AND DURING FLT. WE HAD NO COCKPIT INDICATION TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROB. THE ABNORMAL SECTION OF THE PLT OPERATING MANUAL WAS CHKED, BUT NO PROCS WERE AVAILABLE. BASED ON THE DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS IN AGS AND IMPROVEMENT IN ATL WX, WE MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE FLT OT ATL. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND DIRECT TO ATL REQUESTED. F/O CONTACTED THE COMPANY MAINT COORDINATOR AND DISPATCHER TO ADVISE OF OUR INTENTIONS. DURING CRUISE, THE AUTOPLT OPERATED NORMALLY IN THE PITCH MODE AND 'CTL WHEEL STEERING' IN THE ROLL MODE. THE APCH IN ATL WAS A HAND-FLOWN CAT I ILS/FD USING BOTH HANDS ON THE CTL WHEEL AND THE AUTO THROTTLES. ATL WX HAD NOW GONE DOWN TO 200' CEILING AND 1/2 MI VISIBILITY, BUT IT WAS 'TIME TO GET ON THE GND.' MAINT INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE FORWARD AIR STAIRS HAD BEEN STOWED BY RAMP PERSONNEL IN AGS W/O FULLY RETRACTING THE HAND RAILS. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE INTERNALLY WHICH IN TURN JAMMED THE AILERON CTL CABLES. STRONGLY RECOMMEND: 1) ADDITIONAL TRNING FOR RAMP PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE FOR STOWING AIR STAIRS; OR, 2) LIMIT OPERATION TO FLT CREW MEMBERS--ADDITIONAL TRNING FOR FLT CREWS WOULD ALSO BE IN ORDER. 3) REDESIGN AIR STAIRS TO PREVENT THIS PROB. POSSIBLY HAVE THE HAND RAILS INSIDE ACFT TO THEM BE ATTACHED WHEN STAIR IS OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR INDICATED THAT A MICROSWITCH ON THE HAND RAIL WAS OVERRIDDEN BY THE GND CREW MEMBER BY HIS PLACING THE SWITCH IN THE STANDBY POS. THE HAND RAILS, NOT PROPERLY DISCONNECTED FORM THE AIR STAIR DOORS, WERE BENT WHEN FORCED INTO THE ACFT. THE GENT HAND RAIL(S) TORE OUT A CROSS MEMBER BENEATH THE CABIN FLOOR, THUS BREAKING OFF 2 AILERON BRACKETS AND THEIR PULLEYS. ADDITIONALLY, THE RAIL WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE AILERON CABLES. THE AIR STAIR COMPARTMENT CONSISTS OF 2 L-BRACKETS, WITH NO PROTECTIVE DEVICES BTWN THE DOOR STORAGE AREA AND OTHER VITAL EQUIP. THE RPTR SUGGESTS THAT THE ACFT MIGHT BE FITTED WITH A PROTECTIVE BOX SURROUNDING THE AIR STAIR STORAGE AREA, AND THAT MORE EFFORT BE GIVEN TO TRNING CABIN ATTENDANTS AND GND SVC PERSONNEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 174586: RAMP AGENT DISCONNECTED TELESCOPING PORTION OF AIR STAIR HANDLE FROM ACFT DOOR, CLOSED ACFT DOOR AND RETRACTED AIR STAIRS FROM EXTERIOR PANEL.

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.