Mlt track heading deviation. When autoplt was unable to maintain directional control.

Attributes
ACN	197420
Time
Date	199112
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : act
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j50
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : military pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	197420
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Problem: aircraft drifted north of course out of waco J50 093R. Aircraft situation and equipment: autoplt and INS connected with all coordinated entered properly. Discovery of problem: manually trying to correct drift with autoplt knob. Autoplt on, INS disconnected. Aircraft continued north turn. Now I disconnected autoplt and was manually flying. Aileron controls were frozen. Requested copilot to ask for lower altitude while I tried to get aircraft back on course. ATC called and asked about our direction. Told ATC we had problems with autoplt. Slowly the aircraft responded to a right turn as I was fighting the stiff frozen controls. ATC let us down slowly to 17000 ft MSL where after 10 mins the flight controls finally broke free. Not further problems with the flight controls were encountered.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLT TRACK HDG DEV. WHEN AUTOPLT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL.

Narrative: PROBLEM: ACFT DRIFTED N OF COURSE OUT OF WACO J50 093R. ACFT SITUATION AND EQUIP: AUTOPLT AND INS CONNECTED WITH ALL COORDINATED ENTERED PROPERLY. DISCOVERY OF PROBLEM: MANUALLY TRYING TO CORRECT DRIFT WITH AUTOPLT KNOB. AUTOPLT ON, INS DISCONNECTED. ACFT CONTINUED N TURN. NOW I DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND WAS MANUALLY FLYING. AILERON CTLS WERE FROZEN. REQUESTED COPLT TO ASK FOR LOWER ALT WHILE I TRIED TO GET ACFT BACK ON COURSE. ATC CALLED AND ASKED ABOUT OUR DIRECTION. TOLD ATC WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH AUTOPLT. SLOWLY THE ACFT RESPONDED TO A R TURN AS I WAS FIGHTING THE STIFF FROZEN CTLS. ATC LET US DOWN SLOWLY TO 17000 FT MSL WHERE AFTER 10 MINS THE FLT CTLS FINALLY BROKE FREE. NOT FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE FLT CTLS WERE ENCOUNTERED.

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.