Narrative:

On departure from mem runway 18R, at rotation I experienced a vagueness or void spot in the side stick controller. This didn't cause a ctlability problem, but it did feel odd. Somewhat like driving an old car with loose steering -- putting in an input without response from the vehicle requiring an additional input, which of course is too much, and then needing to correct with a similar response in the other direction. The conditions were a right crosswind (220 degrees at 10 KTS ATIS wind), dry, daylight. At vr the aircraft rotated normally and nose and main gear lifted as normally expected. Shortly after liftoff the right wing dipped. I added left pressure (side stick was somewhat right of center) with no response. Further correcting of course was too much and I had to recorrect back right. All this rolling caused the climb to flatten out, but we finally climbed out ok. Shortly after, ATC gave 2 right turns, during both I noticed a vagueness when the side stick was deflected to the right (the stick could be moved 1/2 the width of the stick without aircraft response -- stick is approximately 2 inches thick). The captain tried maneuvering the aircraft and reported his side stick felt normal. In trying to determine what to do, we extended flaps and again tried both side sticks, then cleaned up again and retested. Both sticks were performing normally. We contacted dispatch, maintenance control and training -- all parties agreed of our plan to continue to destination with landing to be made with left side stick. At destination we noted that the computer monitor detected 4 unrelated system faults at the time of rotation. Also, the aircraft had a history of replacing the elevator/aileron computer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE ANOMALY IN SIDE STICK ON TKOF ROTATION. ACFT COMPUTER MONITOR DETECTED 4 UNRELATED SYS FAULTS AT TIME OF ROTATION. ACFT HAD HISTORY OF ELEVATOR AILERON COMPUTER (ELAC) PROBS. BECAUSE OF SHORT DURATION OF PERCEIVED PROB, SUSPECT EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF PF.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM MEM RWY 18R, AT ROTATION I EXPERIENCED A VAGUENESS OR VOID SPOT IN THE SIDE STICK CTLR. THIS DIDN'T CAUSE A CTLABILITY PROB, BUT IT DID FEEL ODD. SOMEWHAT LIKE DRIVING AN OLD CAR WITH LOOSE STEERING -- PUTTING IN AN INPUT WITHOUT RESPONSE FROM THE VEHICLE REQUIRING AN ADDITIONAL INPUT, WHICH OF COURSE IS TOO MUCH, AND THEN NEEDING TO CORRECT WITH A SIMILAR RESPONSE IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. THE CONDITIONS WERE A R XWIND (220 DEGS AT 10 KTS ATIS WIND), DRY, DAYLIGHT. AT VR THE ACFT ROTATED NORMALLY AND NOSE AND MAIN GEAR LIFTED AS NORMALLY EXPECTED. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF THE R WING DIPPED. I ADDED L PRESSURE (SIDE STICK WAS SOMEWHAT R OF CTR) WITH NO RESPONSE. FURTHER CORRECTING OF COURSE WAS TOO MUCH AND I HAD TO RECORRECT BACK R. ALL THIS ROLLING CAUSED THE CLB TO FLATTEN OUT, BUT WE FINALLY CLBED OUT OK. SHORTLY AFTER, ATC GAVE 2 R TURNS, DURING BOTH I NOTICED A VAGUENESS WHEN THE SIDE STICK WAS DEFLECTED TO THE R (THE STICK COULD BE MOVED 1/2 THE WIDTH OF THE STICK WITHOUT ACFT RESPONSE -- STICK IS APPROX 2 INCHES THICK). THE CAPT TRIED MANEUVERING THE ACFT AND RPTED HIS SIDE STICK FELT NORMAL. IN TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT TO DO, WE EXTENDED FLAPS AND AGAIN TRIED BOTH SIDE STICKS, THEN CLEANED UP AGAIN AND RETESTED. BOTH STICKS WERE PERFORMING NORMALLY. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH, MAINT CTL AND TRAINING -- ALL PARTIES AGREED OF OUR PLAN TO CONTINUE TO DEST WITH LNDG TO BE MADE WITH L SIDE STICK. AT DEST WE NOTED THAT THE COMPUTER MONITOR DETECTED 4 UNRELATED SYS FAULTS AT THE TIME OF ROTATION. ALSO, THE ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF REPLACING THE ELEVATOR/AILERON COMPUTER.

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.