Aircraft equipment problem -- air carrier aircraft used a great deal of rudder trim and flight crew ...

Attributes
ACN	309009
Time
Date	199506
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga airport : dca
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	309009
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flew aircraft on shuttle operations lga-dca-lga-dca-lga-dca-lga. Noted immediately on climb out (I flew first 2 legs) that the aircraft needed a lot of right rudder trim, and, against convention, needed more the faster your airspeed. Also noted during lndgs that despite being on speed the aircraft seemed to drop just before touchdown, in progress of flight, ruled out fuel imbalance, asymmetric thrust and aircraft rigging. After completing rotation, walked outside jetway to terminal and noticed a large spot on the wing. It was several tape strips on the leading edge, running vertically. I recalled that I had dead headed on a shuttle plane when it took a bird strike to same spot. Assume that this was the same plane. It is obviously causing a lot of drag and possibly an early stall in the landing flare at the minimum (this may result in a hard landing) and at worst complicate, possibly even preventing an engine out/flight control malfunction/or high crosswind landing being successful. I notified company safety hotline and pilot group. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this was a B727-232 that the reporter was flying. He said that after both the first officer and he (the captain) had trouble with the aircraft in the landing touchdown and with the trim they discovered the strips of tape over the outboard slat's leading edge. There were 4 or 5 strips of high speed tape and each strip ran from below the leading edge of the slat to the top the leading edge. The dent was quite large and the drag of this deformed area had to be great. Since this form was submitted the reporter spoke with his company's management and the slat has been changed. The maintenance control explanation was that the aircraft was serviceable, but that they had intended to replace the slat sooner however, they did not get the change due to aircraft shortages.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB -- ACR ACFT USED A GREAT DEAL OF RUDDER TRIM AND FLC DISCOVERED A LARGE DENT IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE L OUTBOARD SLAT. PROBABLY FROM A LARGE BIRD STRIKE.

Narrative: FLEW ACFT ON SHUTTLE OPS LGA-DCA-LGA-DCA-LGA-DCA-LGA. NOTED IMMEDIATELY ON CLB OUT (I FLEW FIRST 2 LEGS) THAT THE ACFT NEEDED A LOT OF R RUDDER TRIM, AND, AGAINST CONVENTION, NEEDED MORE THE FASTER YOUR AIRSPD. ALSO NOTED DURING LNDGS THAT DESPITE BEING ON SPD THE ACFT SEEMED TO DROP JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, IN PROGRESS OF FLT, RULED OUT FUEL IMBALANCE, ASYMMETRIC THRUST AND ACFT RIGGING. AFTER COMPLETING ROTATION, WALKED OUTSIDE JETWAY TO TERMINAL AND NOTICED A LARGE SPOT ON THE WING. IT WAS SEVERAL TAPE STRIPS ON THE LEADING EDGE, RUNNING VERTLY. I RECALLED THAT I HAD DEAD HEADED ON A SHUTTLE PLANE WHEN IT TOOK A BIRD STRIKE TO SAME SPOT. ASSUME THAT THIS WAS THE SAME PLANE. IT IS OBVIOUSLY CAUSING A LOT OF DRAG AND POSSIBLY AN EARLY STALL IN THE LNDG FLARE AT THE MINIMUM (THIS MAY RESULT IN A HARD LNDG) AND AT WORST COMPLICATE, POSSIBLY EVEN PREVENTING AN ENG OUT/FLT CTL MALFUNCTION/OR HIGH XWIND LNDG BEING SUCCESSFUL. I NOTIFIED COMPANY SAFETY HOTLINE AND PLT GROUP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS WAS A B727-232 THAT THE RPTR WAS FLYING. HE SAID THAT AFTER BOTH THE FO AND HE (THE CAPT) HAD TROUBLE WITH THE ACFT IN THE LNDG TOUCHDOWN AND WITH THE TRIM THEY DISCOVERED THE STRIPS OF TAPE OVER THE OUTBOARD SLAT'S LEADING EDGE. THERE WERE 4 OR 5 STRIPS OF HIGH SPD TAPE AND EACH STRIP RAN FROM BELOW THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SLAT TO THE TOP THE LEADING EDGE. THE DENT WAS QUITE LARGE AND THE DRAG OF THIS DEFORMED AREA HAD TO BE GREAT. SINCE THIS FORM WAS SUBMITTED THE RPTR SPOKE WITH HIS COMPANY'S MGMNT AND THE SLAT HAS BEEN CHANGED. THE MAINT CTL EXPLANATION WAS THAT THE ACFT WAS SERVICEABLE, BUT THAT THEY HAD INTENDED TO REPLACE THE SLAT SOONER HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT GET THE CHANGE DUE TO ACFT SHORTAGES.

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.

Aircraft equipment problem -- air carrier aircraft used a great deal of rudder trim and flight crew discovered a large dent in the leading edge of the left outboard slat. Probably from a large bird strike.