Narrative:

A B-757-200 landed on runway 31, lga airport, after flying a VFR freeway visual approach. Upon touchdown, nosewheel was lowered to runway, and reverse thrust selected. The rudders locked in the neutral position, and were not available to steer aircraft down the runway. At no time did aircraft deviate from centerline tracking, and there was no problem controling aircraft since there was no crosswind. I turned off the runway with normal nosewheel steering, and taxied to the gate with rudders locked. During the landing roll, I disconnected the manual autoplt bar on the mode control panel to insure total autoplt disconnect, as this had been a problem on other 757S. This action had no affect on the locked rudder. I also had the copilot try his rudder pedals with the same result. It was as though a gust lock had been applied to the rudder pedals. Maintenance was able to free the rudders by applying high force to the pedals, and by exercising the pedals back and forth until they finally freed the rudder up. The airline, the manufacturer, and the NTSB are presently inspecting the aircraft to determine the cause of the malfunction. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that air carrier maintenance found that the rudder cables were binding on a cover panel behind the control pedestal. His air carrier has sent out a warning to all pilots on this incident. The aircraft manufacturer has sent out service bulletin 757-27-0108 regarding this. To the reporter's knowledge, there have been no other incidents of this type. The reporter was flying the aircraft manually. The 767 has had similar rudder problems, but they have all been on coupled approachs and the autoplt was thought to be the culprit. Lga air carrier maintenance was able to free up the rudder just by stepping mightily on the pedals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B-757 FOUND THAT ITS RUDDER PEDALS WERE JAMMED IN PLACE ON LNDG ROLLOUT.

Narrative: A B-757-200 LANDED ON RWY 31, LGA ARPT, AFTER FLYING A VFR FREEWAY VISUAL APCH. UPON TOUCHDOWN, NOSEWHEEL WAS LOWERED TO RWY, AND REVERSE THRUST SELECTED. THE RUDDERS LOCKED IN THE NEUTRAL POS, AND WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO STEER ACFT DOWN THE RWY. AT NO TIME DID ACFT DEVIATE FROM CTRLINE TRACKING, AND THERE WAS NO PROB CTLING ACFT SINCE THERE WAS NO XWIND. I TURNED OFF THE RWY WITH NORMAL NOSEWHEEL STEERING, AND TAXIED TO THE GATE WITH RUDDERS LOCKED. DURING THE LNDG ROLL, I DISCONNECTED THE MANUAL AUTOPLT BAR ON THE MODE CTL PANEL TO INSURE TOTAL AUTOPLT DISCONNECT, AS THIS HAD BEEN A PROB ON OTHER 757S. THIS ACTION HAD NO AFFECT ON THE LOCKED RUDDER. I ALSO HAD THE COPLT TRY HIS RUDDER PEDALS WITH THE SAME RESULT. IT WAS AS THOUGH A GUST LOCK HAD BEEN APPLIED TO THE RUDDER PEDALS. MAINT WAS ABLE TO FREE THE RUDDERS BY APPLYING HIGH FORCE TO THE PEDALS, AND BY EXERCISING THE PEDALS BACK AND FORTH UNTIL THEY FINALLY FREED THE RUDDER UP. THE AIRLINE, THE MANUFACTURER, AND THE NTSB ARE PRESENTLY INSPECTING THE ACFT TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT ACR MAINT FOUND THAT THE RUDDER CABLES WERE BINDING ON A COVER PANEL BEHIND THE CTL PEDESTAL. HIS ACR HAS SENT OUT A WARNING TO ALL PLTS ON THIS INCIDENT. THE ACFT MANUFACTURER HAS SENT OUT SVC BULLETIN 757-27-0108 REGARDING THIS. TO THE RPTR'S KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS TYPE. THE RPTR WAS FLYING THE ACFT MANUALLY. THE 767 HAS HAD SIMILAR RUDDER PROBS, BUT THEY HAVE ALL BEEN ON COUPLED APCHS AND THE AUTOPLT WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE CULPRIT. LGA ACR MAINT WAS ABLE TO FREE UP THE RUDDER JUST BY STEPPING MIGHTILY ON THE PEDALS.

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.