Narrative:

Fokker flight control problem. Taxiing out for departure at iah, first officer noted a slight abnormality during the flight control check. When going full left deflection on the ailerons, we could feel something interfering with control movement just before the left stop. It was so subtle that I had to think twice before returning to the gate to have it checked out. I couldn't help thinking that maintenance would not be able to find anything wrong but the interference, however slight, was really there so we returned to the gate. Mr. X and mr Y, the mechanics on duty, came out to check the problem and I want to thank them especially for their high degree of professionalism. Even though the problem was barely perceptible they never once showed any skepticism or doubt about our concerns. They worked through the entire aileron control system until they found out what was causing the interference. It turned out to be part of the aileron control linkage contacting a hydraulic line in the wheel well with associated chafing and wear. We caught the problem in the early stage and they were able to fix it and send us on our way in a few hours. Tulsa said that they would put out a message to check the entire fleet for this problem. A potentially dangerous situation was avoided. No one will ever hear about this on the 6 O'clock news, but it's just another example.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN FK100 FELT AILERON CTL INTERFERENCE DURING TAXI OUT AND RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR MAINT INSPECTION. CTL LINKAGE WAS FOUND CONTACTING A HYD LINE IN WHEEL WELL RESULTING IN CHAFING AND WEAR.

Narrative: FOKKER FLT CTL PROB. TAXIING OUT FOR DEP AT IAH, FO NOTED A SLIGHT ABNORMALITY DURING THE FLT CTL CHK. WHEN GOING FULL L DEFLECTION ON THE AILERONS, WE COULD FEEL SOMETHING INTERFERING WITH CTL MOVEMENT JUST BEFORE THE L STOP. IT WAS SO SUBTLE THAT I HAD TO THINK TWICE BEFORE RETURNING TO THE GATE TO HAVE IT CHKED OUT. I COULDN'T HELP THINKING THAT MAINT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG BUT THE INTERFERENCE, HOWEVER SLIGHT, WAS REALLY THERE SO WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. MR. X AND MR Y, THE MECHS ON DUTY, CAME OUT TO CHK THE PROB AND I WANT TO THANK THEM ESPECIALLY FOR THEIR HIGH DEGREE OF PROFESSIONALISM. EVEN THOUGH THE PROB WAS BARELY PERCEPTIBLE THEY NEVER ONCE SHOWED ANY SKEPTICISM OR DOUBT ABOUT OUR CONCERNS. THEY WORKED THROUGH THE ENTIRE AILERON CTL SYS UNTIL THEY FOUND OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE INTERFERENCE. IT TURNED OUT TO BE PART OF THE AILERON CTL LINKAGE CONTACTING A HYD LINE IN THE WHEEL WELL WITH ASSOCIATED CHAFING AND WEAR. WE CAUGHT THE PROB IN THE EARLY STAGE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX IT AND SEND US ON OUR WAY IN A FEW HRS. TULSA SAID THAT THEY WOULD PUT OUT A MESSAGE TO CHK THE ENTIRE FLEET FOR THIS PROB. A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT WAS AVOIDED. NO ONE WILL EVER HEAR ABOUT THIS ON THE 6 O'CLOCK NEWS, BUT IT'S JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE.

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.