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The ailerons on an air carrier medium large transport froze solid after sitting in a rain storm and then climbing to altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 242457 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199304 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fam |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 242457 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Passing farmington VOR at 35000 ft, autoplt was sluggish in roll. Disconnect autoplt found ailerons jammed in neutral position. Wheel would only turn a few degrees with much effort. Checked again for autoplt release. Declared emergency and descended to 6000 ft to warmer air. Suspect frozen water as cause due to rain on departure from mke. Checked cockpit operating manual for jammed controls. Turned off aileron servo as precaution. Notified air carrier dispatch of problem and intentions. Ailerons broke free at 6000 ft. RAT showed plus 17 degrees. Landed without incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE AILERONS ON AN ACR MLG FROZE SOLID AFTER SITTING IN A RAIN STORM AND THEN CLBING TO ALT.
Narrative: PASSING FARMINGTON VOR AT 35000 FT, AUTOPLT WAS SLUGGISH IN ROLL. DISCONNECT AUTOPLT FOUND AILERONS JAMMED IN NEUTRAL POS. WHEEL WOULD ONLY TURN A FEW DEGS WITH MUCH EFFORT. CHKED AGAIN FOR AUTOPLT RELEASE. DECLARED EMER AND DSNDED TO 6000 FT TO WARMER AIR. SUSPECT FROZEN WATER AS CAUSE DUE TO RAIN ON DEP FROM MKE. CHKED COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL FOR JAMMED CTLS. TURNED OFF AILERON SERVO AS PRECAUTION. NOTIFIED ACR DISPATCH OF PROB AND INTENTIONS. AILERONS BROKE FREE AT 6000 FT. RAT SHOWED PLUS 17 DEGS. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.
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.