Narrative:

On flight mem-gtr we experienced aircraft control problems. During the flare for landing at gtr our yoke stuck in a nose down position and the aircraft was very close to hitting the nosewheel first. After using excessive force, I was able to unstick the yoke for our go around at gtr. Throughout the go around and throughout the pattern our yoke continued to stick. The yoke finally became clear of any type of noticeable obstructions on a 3 mi final at gtr. The passenger were briefed and crash, rescue and fire were called for precautionary measures and we landed the aircraft without incident. Supplemental information from acn 314370 : during the flare maneuver for landing at gtr airport, the flight controls got stuck into position not allowing the PF (captain) to properly raise the airplane's nose up for landing. A go around was initiated with the captain pulling hard on the yoke. The flight controls unstuck and then stuck again with the airplane in a nose high attitude that was manageable for the go around. We entered the pattern and performed controllability checks where we found the controls to be very heavy on roll and almost immovable on pitch. The pitch from wheel seemed to be turning normally. We determined that we could land the airplane with the control authority/authorized available. During the 2ND circuit around the pattern I briefed the passenger and requested emergency equipment at the airport just in case. The captain said that he felt it was getting harder to control the airplane and the best thing would be to land as soon as possible. During final approach the controls got unstuck and a normal landing was performed. Airplane type was BA3101 jetstream. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the first officer said the 3 jetstream 3101's in their fleet are particularly unstable at best. Most jetstream pilots would agree the 3101 is unstable. This was 1 of the best of the 3 but still flew poorly. They do not have autoplts. Fortunately, the captain was big and strong, he weighs 215 pounds. The movement of the control column was restr to about 1/4 inch up and 1/4 inch down. They were barely able to avoid landing on the nosewheel prior to the go around. The restr was in the aileron as well as the elevator. Maintenance found a bearing assembly that had malfunctioned at the forward bulkhead. The reporter said he had not heard of this occurring before on any airplane. However, another pilot recalls a similar, but, not as severe experience before with this same airplane. He wrote it up but the controls operated normally on the ground when not under air loads. The controls operated normally on the ground after this experience also, it takes air loads and the bearing to go askew or awry for the symptom to exist. The maintenance at first thought it had to be a pulley problem but there are no pulleys that would effect both aileron and elevator -- only this bearing assembly. If this crew had been closer to maximum landing weight the problem might have been worse. After the bearing was repaired the airplane flew normally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELEVATOR CTL COLUMN STUCK.

Narrative: ON FLT MEM-GTR WE EXPERIENCED ACFT CTL PROBS. DURING THE FLARE FOR LNDG AT GTR OUR YOKE STUCK IN A NOSE DOWN POS AND THE ACFT WAS VERY CLOSE TO HITTING THE NOSEWHEEL FIRST. AFTER USING EXCESSIVE FORCE, I WAS ABLE TO UNSTICK THE YOKE FOR OUR GAR AT GTR. THROUGHOUT THE GAR AND THROUGHOUT THE PATTERN OUR YOKE CONTINUED TO STICK. THE YOKE FINALLY BECAME CLR OF ANY TYPE OF NOTICEABLE OBSTRUCTIONS ON A 3 MI FINAL AT GTR. THE PAX WERE BRIEFED AND CRASH, RESCUE AND FIRE WERE CALLED FOR PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AND WE LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 314370 : DURING THE FLARE MANEUVER FOR LNDG AT GTR ARPT, THE FLT CTLS GOT STUCK INTO POS NOT ALLOWING THE PF (CAPT) TO PROPERLY RAISE THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE UP FOR LNDG. A GAR WAS INITIATED WITH THE CAPT PULLING HARD ON THE YOKE. THE FLT CTLS UNSTUCK AND THEN STUCK AGAIN WITH THE AIRPLANE IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE THAT WAS MANAGEABLE FOR THE GAR. WE ENTERED THE PATTERN AND PERFORMED CONTROLLABILITY CHKS WHERE WE FOUND THE CTLS TO BE VERY HVY ON ROLL AND ALMOST IMMOVABLE ON PITCH. THE PITCH FROM WHEEL SEEMED TO BE TURNING NORMALLY. WE DETERMINED THAT WE COULD LAND THE AIRPLANE WITH THE CTL AUTH AVAILABLE. DURING THE 2ND CIRCUIT AROUND THE PATTERN I BRIEFED THE PAX AND REQUESTED EMER EQUIP AT THE ARPT JUST IN CASE. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE FELT IT WAS GETTING HARDER TO CTL THE AIRPLANE AND THE BEST THING WOULD BE TO LAND ASAP. DURING FINAL APCH THE CTLS GOT UNSTUCK AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS PERFORMED. AIRPLANE TYPE WAS BA3101 JETSTREAM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO SAID THE 3 JETSTREAM 3101'S IN THEIR FLEET ARE PARTICULARLY UNSTABLE AT BEST. MOST JETSTREAM PLTS WOULD AGREE THE 3101 IS UNSTABLE. THIS WAS 1 OF THE BEST OF THE 3 BUT STILL FLEW POORLY. THEY DO NOT HAVE AUTOPLTS. FORTUNATELY, THE CAPT WAS BIG AND STRONG, HE WEIGHS 215 LBS. THE MOVEMENT OF THE CTL COLUMN WAS RESTR TO ABOUT 1/4 INCH UP AND 1/4 INCH DOWN. THEY WERE BARELY ABLE TO AVOID LNDG ON THE NOSEWHEEL PRIOR TO THE GAR. THE RESTR WAS IN THE AILERON AS WELL AS THE ELEVATOR. MAINT FOUND A BEARING ASSEMBLY THAT HAD MALFUNCTIONED AT THE FORWARD BULKHEAD. THE RPTR SAID HE HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS OCCURRING BEFORE ON ANY AIRPLANE. HOWEVER, ANOTHER PLT RECALLS A SIMILAR, BUT, NOT AS SEVERE EXPERIENCE BEFORE WITH THIS SAME AIRPLANE. HE WROTE IT UP BUT THE CTLS OPERATED NORMALLY ON THE GND WHEN NOT UNDER AIR LOADS. THE CTLS OPERATED NORMALLY ON THE GND AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE ALSO, IT TAKES AIR LOADS AND THE BEARING TO GO ASKEW OR AWRY FOR THE SYMPTOM TO EXIST. THE MAINT AT FIRST THOUGHT IT HAD TO BE A PULLEY PROB BUT THERE ARE NO PULLEYS THAT WOULD EFFECT BOTH AILERON AND ELEVATOR -- ONLY THIS BEARING ASSEMBLY. IF THIS CREW HAD BEEN CLOSER TO MAX LNDG WT THE PROB MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORSE. AFTER THE BEARING WAS REPAIRED THE AIRPLANE FLEW NORMALLY.

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.