Narrative:

On IOE with new first officer, I decided to fly last leg of trip. After takeoff during climb, I felt the flight controls were sloppy. I had an excessive amount of control column movement fore and aft in pitch without affecting the pitch attitude of the jet. Stabilizer trim was normal and operation of pitch control through the autoplt was normal, however, I could move the controls about an inch fore and aft without resistance. Contacted new york commercial radio for a 3-WAY phone patch with dispatch and technician. After troubleshooting the problem without conclusive results, I made the decision to continue on to dca for maintenance and to switch equipment to continue on to mia. Declared an emergency with ATC and requested traffic priority for direct to dca due to a possible flight control malfunction. Flew to and landed dca without incident. Crash fire rescue equipment equipment standing by as precaution. Switched aircraft and went on to mia. Help from dispatch and all personnel in dca allowed us to land and depart on a new jet in 41 mins. They did an outstanding job. This was the most slop or lack of control feel I have encountered in 4+ yrs on this equipment. I felt a precautionary landing was in order. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft was OTS for 3 days and was ferried to afw for repair. The problem was mechanical, the bolts holding the control column mechanism to the floor had become loose -- both control columns moved above 1 inch before any input to the elevator was apparent. It was not noticed on the taxi checklist because the first officer checks the elevator movement and, in this case, it was only his third leg in the airplane and he did not recognize the problem. The choice of dca as a diversion point was discussed and it was perfectly logical. The reporter has approximately 2500 hours in the B757 and has never heard of this problem happening before.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 ON A BOS-MIA FLT DIVERTED TO DCA BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE CTL COLUMN.

Narrative: ON IOE WITH NEW FO, I DECIDED TO FLY LAST LEG OF TRIP. AFTER TKOF DURING CLB, I FELT THE FLT CTLS WERE SLOPPY. I HAD AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF CTL COLUMN MOVEMENT FORE AND AFT IN PITCH WITHOUT AFFECTING THE PITCH ATTITUDE OF THE JET. STABILIZER TRIM WAS NORMAL AND OP OF PITCH CTL THROUGH THE AUTOPLT WAS NORMAL, HOWEVER, I COULD MOVE THE CTLS ABOUT AN INCH FORE AND AFT WITHOUT RESISTANCE. CONTACTED NEW YORK COMMERCIAL RADIO FOR A 3-WAY PHONE PATCH WITH DISPATCH AND TECHNICIAN. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB WITHOUT CONCLUSIVE RESULTS, I MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE ON TO DCA FOR MAINT AND TO SWITCH EQUIP TO CONTINUE ON TO MIA. DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC AND REQUESTED TFC PRIORITY FOR DIRECT TO DCA DUE TO A POSSIBLE FLT CTL MALFUNCTION. FLEW TO AND LANDED DCA WITHOUT INCIDENT. CFR EQUIP STANDING BY AS PRECAUTION. SWITCHED ACFT AND WENT ON TO MIA. HELP FROM DISPATCH AND ALL PERSONNEL IN DCA ALLOWED US TO LAND AND DEPART ON A NEW JET IN 41 MINS. THEY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB. THIS WAS THE MOST SLOP OR LACK OF CTL FEEL I HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN 4+ YRS ON THIS EQUIP. I FELT A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS IN ORDER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT WAS OTS FOR 3 DAYS AND WAS FERRIED TO AFW FOR REPAIR. THE PROB WAS MECHANICAL, THE BOLTS HOLDING THE CTL COLUMN MECHANISM TO THE FLOOR HAD BECOME LOOSE -- BOTH CTL COLUMNS MOVED ABOVE 1 INCH BEFORE ANY INPUT TO THE ELEVATOR WAS APPARENT. IT WAS NOT NOTICED ON THE TAXI CHKLIST BECAUSE THE FO CHKS THE ELEVATOR MOVEMENT AND, IN THIS CASE, IT WAS ONLY HIS THIRD LEG IN THE AIRPLANE AND HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE PROB. THE CHOICE OF DCA AS A DIVERSION POINT WAS DISCUSSED AND IT WAS PERFECTLY LOGICAL. THE RPTR HAS APPROX 2500 HRS IN THE B757 AND HAS NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROB HAPPENING BEFORE.

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.