An air carrier first officer complains about a binding elevator control in particular and the deteri...

Attributes
ACN	270277
Time
Date	199404
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr airport : bos
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	270277
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Inbound crew advised us of both autoplts inoperative and difficulties with alternate trim. Maintenance placarded both autoplts. During taxi, I found controls to be fine but unusual -- binding and stiff. On rotation captain agreed -- required extra force to get nose up. On landing bos, difficulty experienced with forward and back pressure. Maintenance in bos said same airplane, same problem the day before -- found noting. For us they found an elevator cable pulley hanging by the threads of a bolt (nut fell off). This made control check feel normal, but next bos-ewr leg, the problem still existed as before. Ewr maintenance finally (after 3 hours) grounded aircraft.while waiting, I met 1 captain and 2 other first officer's who had flown and written up this same airplane problem in the previous 4 days. I'm speaking of an MD80 at air carrier. It is my opinion that since air carrier instituted an efficiency study and reorganization of maintenance that our mechanical difficulties have increased unacceptably. I flew MD80's at air carrier for 2.5 years with almost no problems. Since fall '93, placards have returned, mechanics are demoralized, and delays have increased. This report of an elevator control problem taking 4 days to troubleshoot should scare somebody. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was asked to find out, if possible, what was done to correct this problem. Later, the reporter had a 'situation around' in ewr and got together with a mechanic that helped with the problem and found that the aircraft had been taken off the line for 2 days. The maintenance crew gave the system a 'full lube' to no avail and then changed the 'elevator load feel centering control.' the reporter does not know if there had been a test flight, but there probably was 1 or more. The reporter did not pursue this to see if there have been any further problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FO COMPLAINS ABOUT A BINDING ELEVATOR CTL IN PARTICULAR AND THE DETERIORATING STATE OF HIS ACR'S MAINT PROGRAM IN GENERAL.

Narrative: INBOUND CREW ADVISED US OF BOTH AUTOPLTS INOP AND DIFFICULTIES WITH ALTERNATE TRIM. MAINT PLACARDED BOTH AUTOPLTS. DURING TAXI, I FOUND CTLS TO BE FINE BUT UNUSUAL -- BINDING AND STIFF. ON ROTATION CAPT AGREED -- REQUIRED EXTRA FORCE TO GET NOSE UP. ON LNDG BOS, DIFFICULTY EXPERIENCED WITH FORWARD AND BACK PRESSURE. MAINT IN BOS SAID SAME AIRPLANE, SAME PROB THE DAY BEFORE -- FOUND NOTING. FOR US THEY FOUND AN ELEVATOR CABLE PULLEY HANGING BY THE THREADS OF A BOLT (NUT FELL OFF). THIS MADE CTL CHK FEEL NORMAL, BUT NEXT BOS-EWR LEG, THE PROB STILL EXISTED AS BEFORE. EWR MAINT FINALLY (AFTER 3 HRS) GROUNDED ACFT.WHILE WAITING, I MET 1 CAPT AND 2 OTHER FO'S WHO HAD FLOWN AND WRITTEN UP THIS SAME AIRPLANE PROB IN THE PREVIOUS 4 DAYS. I'M SPEAKING OF AN MD80 AT ACR. IT IS MY OPINION THAT SINCE ACR INSTITUTED AN EFFICIENCY STUDY AND REORGANIZATION OF MAINT THAT OUR MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES HAVE INCREASED UNACCEPTABLY. I FLEW MD80'S AT ACR FOR 2.5 YEARS WITH ALMOST NO PROBS. SINCE FALL '93, PLACARDS HAVE RETURNED, MECHS ARE DEMORALIZED, AND DELAYS HAVE INCREASED. THIS RPT OF AN ELEVATOR CTL PROB TAKING 4 DAYS TO TROUBLESHOOT SHOULD SCARE SOMEBODY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS ASKED TO FIND OUT, IF POSSIBLE, WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROB. LATER, THE RPTR HAD A 'SIT AROUND' IN EWR AND GOT TOGETHER WITH A MECH THAT HELPED WITH THE PROB AND FOUND THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN TAKEN OFF THE LINE FOR 2 DAYS. THE MAINT CREW GAVE THE SYS A 'FULL LUBE' TO NO AVAIL AND THEN CHANGED THE 'ELEVATOR LOAD FEEL CENTERING CTL.' THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW IF THERE HAD BEEN A TEST FLT, BUT THERE PROBABLY WAS 1 OR MORE. THE RPTR DID NOT PURSUE THIS TO SEE IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY FURTHER PROBS.

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.

An air carrier first officer complains about a binding elevator control in particular and the deteriorating state of his air carrier's maintenance program in general.