Jammed flight controls from ice accumulation.

Attributes
ACN	294449
Time
Date	199501
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : yul
State Reference	PQ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	294449
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Just prior to pushback in an md-88 at yul, a light rain started. Due to the outside air temperature of 25 degrees F, we went to be deiced. The ground crew was waiting and deiced the aircraft in accordance with company procedures with type I fluid/50-50 mix. The aircraft was said to be 'free of ice' and we taxied to runway 6L for takeoff. As we left the deice area the rain increased in intensity. We delayed extending our flaps/slats until approaching the end of the runway. As we configured we noticed clear ice accumulating on the wiper arms. When we initiated the flight control check we found we could not move the yoke aft of neutral and that forward movement was restr. We returned to deice and were treated again with type I/50-50 and type ii ultra. After about 1 hour in constant rain, due to the subsequent buildup of ice, we were never able to free the flight controls, even after further attempts at deice. We returned to the gate and canceled. Observations: we were impressed with how rapidly the ice built up even on surfaces that had been deiced with type I. It was disconcerting to be made aware of how susceptible the md-88 elevator controls are to icing, especially on the ground. We were fortunate to have delayed the flight control check until just before takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JAMMED FLT CTLS FROM ICE ACCUMULATION.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK IN AN MD-88 AT YUL, A LIGHT RAIN STARTED. DUE TO THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP OF 25 DEGS F, WE WENT TO BE DEICED. THE GND CREW WAS WAITING AND DEICED THE ACFT IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS WITH TYPE I FLUID/50-50 MIX. THE ACFT WAS SAID TO BE 'FREE OF ICE' AND WE TAXIED TO RWY 6L FOR TKOF. AS WE LEFT THE DEICE AREA THE RAIN INCREASED IN INTENSITY. WE DELAYED EXTENDING OUR FLAPS/SLATS UNTIL APCHING THE END OF THE RWY. AS WE CONFIGURED WE NOTICED CLR ICE ACCUMULATING ON THE WIPER ARMS. WHEN WE INITIATED THE FLT CTL CHK WE FOUND WE COULD NOT MOVE THE YOKE AFT OF NEUTRAL AND THAT FORWARD MOVEMENT WAS RESTR. WE RETURNED TO DEICE AND WERE TREATED AGAIN WITH TYPE I/50-50 AND TYPE II ULTRA. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR IN CONSTANT RAIN, DUE TO THE SUBSEQUENT BUILDUP OF ICE, WE WERE NEVER ABLE TO FREE THE FLT CTLS, EVEN AFTER FURTHER ATTEMPTS AT DEICE. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND CANCELED. OBSERVATIONS: WE WERE IMPRESSED WITH HOW RAPIDLY THE ICE BUILT UP EVEN ON SURFACES THAT HAD BEEN DEICED WITH TYPE I. IT WAS DISCONCERTING TO BE MADE AWARE OF HOW SUSCEPTIBLE THE MD-88 ELEVATOR CTLS ARE TO ICING, ESPECIALLY ON THE GND. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE DELAYED THE FLT CTL CHK UNTIL JUST BEFORE TKOF.

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.