DC10 flight crew has problem with controls on descent. The speed brakes are stiff and autoplt does n...

Attributes
ACN	392634
Time
Date	199801
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 95
ASRS Report	392634
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This is a description of flight control icing. There just happened to be an FAA maintenance inspector jump seating on this flight, he is our company's DC10 inspector. He had spent the night in the area and was aware of the previous night's WX. He came up with the following explanation of what might have caused this problem. During the night there were easterly winds which brought rain. This rain was driven up the tail of the aircraft entering the wings from the rear. This allowed water to get in the boxes that enclose the control cables and pulleys, which later froze up. I was flying the aircraft on the autoplt, the flight up to the approach phase had been normal and uneventful. During approach we were being vectored to runway 21R at dtw. ATC gave us a descent, a turn and a speed reduction. After establishing the descent and turn, I extended the speed brakes to start slowing. The speed brakes felt stiff going past 1/3 extension so I retracted and re-extended and they felt normal the second time. The autoplt did not appear to roll out so I watched it closely and by 5 degrees prior to heading I was sure it was not going to roll out. I disconnected and attempted to manually roll out. It took considerable force to move the yoke. At first it felt as if it was slipping, but the aircraft did not roll out with more force and about 2/3 deflection (considerably more than normal) the controls appeared to break free. After this the aircraft responded and flew normally, including the autoplt. I established the aircraft on the assigned heading, flew the approach and landing, uneventfully. Maintenance inspected, detected and removed the ice from the control cables and pulleys. This appears to be a unique occurrence, however our maintenance inspector was going to make sure our maintenance people would be aware of and prepared for the situation in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 FLC HAS PROB WITH CTLS ON DSCNT. THE SPD BRAKES ARE STIFF AND AUTOPLT DOES NOT ROLL OUT ON HEADING. IT TURNS OUT THERE WAS ICE ON THE CTL CABLES.

Narrative: THIS IS A DESCRIPTION OF FLT CTL ICING. THERE JUST HAPPENED TO BE AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR JUMP SEATING ON THIS FLT, HE IS OUR COMPANY'S DC10 INSPECTOR. HE HAD SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE AREA AND WAS AWARE OF THE PREVIOUS NIGHT'S WX. HE CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATION OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THIS PROB. DURING THE NIGHT THERE WERE EASTERLY WINDS WHICH BROUGHT RAIN. THIS RAIN WAS DRIVEN UP THE TAIL OF THE ACFT ENTERING THE WINGS FROM THE REAR. THIS ALLOWED WATER TO GET IN THE BOXES THAT ENCLOSE THE CTL CABLES AND PULLEYS, WHICH LATER FROZE UP. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT ON THE AUTOPLT, THE FLT UP TO THE APCH PHASE HAD BEEN NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. DURING APCH WE WERE BEING VECTORED TO RWY 21R AT DTW. ATC GAVE US A DSCNT, A TURN AND A SPD REDUCTION. AFTER ESTABLISHING THE DSCNT AND TURN, I EXTENDED THE SPD BRAKES TO START SLOWING. THE SPD BRAKES FELT STIFF GOING PAST 1/3 EXTENSION SO I RETRACTED AND RE-EXTENDED AND THEY FELT NORMAL THE SECOND TIME. THE AUTOPLT DID NOT APPEAR TO ROLL OUT SO I WATCHED IT CLOSELY AND BY 5 DEGS PRIOR TO HEADING I WAS SURE IT WAS NOT GOING TO ROLL OUT. I DISCONNECTED AND ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY ROLL OUT. IT TOOK CONSIDERABLE FORCE TO MOVE THE YOKE. AT FIRST IT FELT AS IF IT WAS SLIPPING, BUT THE ACFT DID NOT ROLL OUT WITH MORE FORCE AND ABOUT 2/3 DEFLECTION (CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN NORMAL) THE CTLS APPEARED TO BREAK FREE. AFTER THIS THE ACFT RESPONDED AND FLEW NORMALLY, INCLUDING THE AUTOPLT. I ESTABLISHED THE ACFT ON THE ASSIGNED HEADING, FLEW THE APCH AND LNDG, UNEVENTFULLY. MAINT INSPECTED, DETECTED AND REMOVED THE ICE FROM THE CTL CABLES AND PULLEYS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A UNIQUE OCCURRENCE, HOWEVER OUR MAINT INSPECTOR WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE OUR MAINT PEOPLE WOULD BE AWARE OF AND PREPARED FOR THE SIT IN THE FUTURE.

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.

DC10 flight crew has problem with controls on descent. The speed brakes are stiff and autoplt does not roll out on heading. It turns out there was ice on the control cables.