B727-200 crew had a rudder radio light followed later by a standby rudder overheat. Diversion to alt...

Attributes
ACN	360539
Time
Date	199702
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cae
State Reference	SC
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 205 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	360539
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On flap retraction, rudder ratio light illuminated. Performed abnormal procedure. 50 mins into flight, standby rudder overheat light illuminated. Contacted dispatch, phone patch to air carrier maintenance. Decided a diversion was necessary. Over columbia, sc, at time. Decided iad only suitable airport due to WX. Proceeded to iad where an overweight landing was performed. It was a normal landing. Sink rate 300 FPM. Weight of 156500 pounds. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B727-200. He is newly rated as a captain, but flew the aircraft previously as an first officer for about 3 yrs. He had never seen these problems before and has found no one else that has had these problems. He realizes that the aircraft is aging. With the rudder ratio light illuminated, the rudder is in high power mode, for low speed operation, while the aircraft is in a high speed regime. This requires a lower altitude, lower speed flight regime than normal with the standby rudder 'on.' a standby rudder overheat light requires that the standby rudder be turned 'off,' putting the aircraft back into the high power rudder situation. The reporter's aircraft manual is very vague on a standby rudder overheat situation, with no procedure listed. The air carrier's maintenance has not responded to the reporter on what they found wrong with the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200 CREW HAD A RUDDER RADIO LIGHT FOLLOWED LATER BY A STANDBY RUDDER OVERHEAT. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE. ACFT EQUIP PROB RUDDER RATIO FAILURE FOLLOWED BY STANDBY RUDDER OVERHEAT.

Narrative: ON FLAP RETRACTION, RUDDER RATIO LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PERFORMED ABNORMAL PROC. 50 MINS INTO FLT, STANDBY RUDDER OVERHEAT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONTACTED DISPATCH, PHONE PATCH TO ACR MAINT. DECIDED A DIVERSION WAS NECESSARY. OVER COLUMBIA, SC, AT TIME. DECIDED IAD ONLY SUITABLE ARPT DUE TO WX. PROCEEDED TO IAD WHERE AN OVERWT LNDG WAS PERFORMED. IT WAS A NORMAL LNDG. SINK RATE 300 FPM. WT OF 156500 LBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B727-200. HE IS NEWLY RATED AS A CAPT, BUT FLEW THE ACFT PREVIOUSLY AS AN FO FOR ABOUT 3 YRS. HE HAD NEVER SEEN THESE PROBS BEFORE AND HAS FOUND NO ONE ELSE THAT HAS HAD THESE PROBS. HE REALIZES THAT THE ACFT IS AGING. WITH THE RUDDER RATIO LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE RUDDER IS IN HIGH PWR MODE, FOR LOW SPD OP, WHILE THE ACFT IS IN A HIGH SPD REGIME. THIS REQUIRES A LOWER ALT, LOWER SPD FLT REGIME THAN NORMAL WITH THE STANDBY RUDDER 'ON.' A STANDBY RUDDER OVERHEAT LIGHT REQUIRES THAT THE STANDBY RUDDER BE TURNED 'OFF,' PUTTING THE ACFT BACK INTO THE HIGH PWR RUDDER SIT. THE RPTR'S ACFT MANUAL IS VERY VAGUE ON A STANDBY RUDDER OVERHEAT SIT, WITH NO PROC LISTED. THE ACR'S MAINT HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE RPTR ON WHAT THEY FOUND WRONG WITH THE ACFT.

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.

B727-200 crew had a rudder radio light followed later by a standby rudder overheat. Diversion to alternate. Aircraft equipment problem rudder ratio failure followed by standby rudder overheat.