Narrative:

Rudder did not check normally during control check. Right rudder pedal stuck at neutral position for 1 second before moving as commanded. 2 occurrences, then normal control operations. Returned to gate. Nonmodified PCU. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said the aircraft was deiced at the gate with horizontal stabilizer to the full down position as per deice procedures. About 5 mins after the deice was completed and just before pushing away from the gate the crew performed a full control check as per company procedures and all surfaces moved freely including the rudder. In the time it takes to taxi out to the runway after pushback the rudder was again tested and found the rudder moved freely to full left and back to neutral. But when the right rudder was pushed there was a resistance similar to the first officer having his foot blocking the rudder and then it gave way. The captain was concerned he had hit the first officer's foot. The first officer said no and got his flashlight out to see what may be blocking the rudder while the captain again performed the test. The first officer saw the misbehavior of the rudder pedal but could not see what was causing it. The captain took the aircraft back to the gate and was told by company personnel assigned to rudder problems that this aircraft did not have the modified PCU and it would before it flew again. No one knows for sure whether or not the problem was caused by ice. The OAT was 30 degrees F. The reporter was recently to recurrent training and there was a briefing on the rudder. Pilots were told to be conscious and cautious of any rudder anomalies. Also, the minimum speeds were increased 26 KTS for flaps 2 degrees and 5 degrees and 10 degrees at weights less than 117000 pounds during the past year.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR'S RUDDER STUCK MOMENTARILY ON 2 OCCASIONS DURING PRE-TKOF CTL CHK. RETURNED TO GATE FOR MAINT.

Narrative: RUDDER DID NOT CHK NORMALLY DURING CTL CHK. R RUDDER PEDAL STUCK AT NEUTRAL POS FOR 1 SECOND BEFORE MOVING AS COMMANDED. 2 OCCURRENCES, THEN NORMAL CTL OPS. RETURNED TO GATE. NONMODIFIED PCU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS DEICED AT THE GATE WITH HORIZ STABILIZER TO THE FULL DOWN POS AS PER DEICE PROCS. ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER THE DEICE WAS COMPLETED AND JUST BEFORE PUSHING AWAY FROM THE GATE THE CREW PERFORMED A FULL CTL CHK AS PER COMPANY PROCS AND ALL SURFACES MOVED FREELY INCLUDING THE RUDDER. IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO TAXI OUT TO THE RWY AFTER PUSHBACK THE RUDDER WAS AGAIN TESTED AND FOUND THE RUDDER MOVED FREELY TO FULL L AND BACK TO NEUTRAL. BUT WHEN THE R RUDDER WAS PUSHED THERE WAS A RESISTANCE SIMILAR TO THE FO HAVING HIS FOOT BLOCKING THE RUDDER AND THEN IT GAVE WAY. THE CAPT WAS CONCERNED HE HAD HIT THE FO'S FOOT. THE FO SAID NO AND GOT HIS FLASHLIGHT OUT TO SEE WHAT MAY BE BLOCKING THE RUDDER WHILE THE CAPT AGAIN PERFORMED THE TEST. THE FO SAW THE MISBEHAVIOR OF THE RUDDER PEDAL BUT COULD NOT SEE WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. THE CAPT TOOK THE ACFT BACK TO THE GATE AND WAS TOLD BY COMPANY PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO RUDDER PROBS THAT THIS ACFT DID NOT HAVE THE MODIFIED PCU AND IT WOULD BEFORE IT FLEW AGAIN. NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE WHETHER OR NOT THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY ICE. THE OAT WAS 30 DEGS F. THE RPTR WAS RECENTLY TO RECURRENT TRAINING AND THERE WAS A BRIEFING ON THE RUDDER. PLTS WERE TOLD TO BE CONSCIOUS AND CAUTIOUS OF ANY RUDDER ANOMALIES. ALSO, THE MINIMUM SPDS WERE INCREASED 26 KTS FOR FLAPS 2 DEGS AND 5 DEGS AND 10 DEGS AT WTS LESS THAN 117000 LBS DURING THE PAST YEAR.

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.