Narrative:

On climb out from fwa we got a EFIS cwp warning and lost EFIS on captain's side. I (the first officer) continued flying and handled the radios while the captain carried out the items on the emergency checklist. The checklist told us to pull the circuit breaker and continue. There was a check airman on board. We brought him up to the cockpit to double check that we were to continue on to destination as checklist was sort of vague. We continued. Once we leveled off, I noticed that the rudder had (pedals) gotten very stiff and were not as movable as they should be. Upon getting ATIS at ord the winds were showing to be 340 degrees at 12 KTS gusting to 15 KTS, and they were landing using the runways 9. This would be a crosswind and I was concerned about the lack of rudder availability. We talked to center and asked if we could get runway 32L or 32R, they asked us the problem and if we needed the equipment. We told them that we didn't need the equipment. They assigned us runway 4R as the runways 32 were unavailable. After consulting the captain on my concern of no steering once we were on the ground, we still had use of trim and some rudder in-flight. The captain and I decided the trucks standing by would be a good idea. Nosewheel steering does not operate until 80 KTS. We told approach and they were waiting. We did not declare an emergency as controling the aircraft was never a problem. We were being vectored to final by approach and I asked the captain if we should brief the flight attendants. He said no, they couldn't handle it and they would freak. I disagreed but base leg was no place for an argument. The approach and landing went smoothly with the exception that I was unable to use the rudder to steer the aircraft. Once the aircraft slowed through 80 KTS rudder use came back so the problem was only at higher speeds and was a problem with the rudder bias system of the aircraft. We were able to taxi back to ramp and rudder pedals were operable just a little stiff. Upon reaching the gate we were told that we had declared an emergency. We did not declare an emergency. We asked for the trucks to stand by for precautionary measure not knowing what to expect from the aircraft as we were landing with a crosswind. In retrospect the checklist should have been more clear as to the EFIS situation, it ended after pulling the circuit breaker. CRM was lacking as the captain didn't want to brief the flight attendants. There was an error of communication as the tower thought we had declared an emergency. It was never implied. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the corrective action for the failed EFIS system was unknown but the reporter followed up on the rudder fault and said maintenance found water in the pitot line input to the rudder bias or artificial feel unit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BAE ATP IN CRUISE AT 12000 FT HAD THE #1 EFIS SYS FAIL AND THE RUDDER PEDAL INPUT BECAME STIFF, ADVISED THE CTR AND REQUESTED RWY TO AVOID XWIND LNDG AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM FWA WE GOT A EFIS CWP WARNING AND LOST EFIS ON CAPT'S SIDE. I (THE FO) CONTINUED FLYING AND HANDLED THE RADIOS WHILE THE CAPT CARRIED OUT THE ITEMS ON THE EMER CHKLIST. THE CHKLIST TOLD US TO PULL THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND CONTINUE. THERE WAS A CHK AIRMAN ON BOARD. WE BROUGHT HIM UP TO THE COCKPIT TO DOUBLE CHK THAT WE WERE TO CONTINUE ON TO DEST AS CHKLIST WAS SORT OF VAGUE. WE CONTINUED. ONCE WE LEVELED OFF, I NOTICED THAT THE RUDDER HAD (PEDALS) GOTTEN VERY STIFF AND WERE NOT AS MOVABLE AS THEY SHOULD BE. UPON GETTING ATIS AT ORD THE WINDS WERE SHOWING TO BE 340 DEGS AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 15 KTS, AND THEY WERE LNDG USING THE RWYS 9. THIS WOULD BE A XWIND AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF RUDDER AVAILABILITY. WE TALKED TO CTR AND ASKED IF WE COULD GET RWY 32L OR 32R, THEY ASKED US THE PROB AND IF WE NEEDED THE EQUIP. WE TOLD THEM THAT WE DIDN'T NEED THE EQUIP. THEY ASSIGNED US RWY 4R AS THE RWYS 32 WERE UNAVAILABLE. AFTER CONSULTING THE CAPT ON MY CONCERN OF NO STEERING ONCE WE WERE ON THE GND, WE STILL HAD USE OF TRIM AND SOME RUDDER INFLT. THE CAPT AND I DECIDED THE TRUCKS STANDING BY WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. NOSEWHEEL STEERING DOES NOT OPERATE UNTIL 80 KTS. WE TOLD APCH AND THEY WERE WAITING. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AS CTLING THE ACFT WAS NEVER A PROB. WE WERE BEING VECTORED TO FINAL BY APCH AND I ASKED THE CAPT IF WE SHOULD BRIEF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. HE SAID NO, THEY COULDN'T HANDLE IT AND THEY WOULD FREAK. I DISAGREED BUT BASE LEG WAS NO PLACE FOR AN ARGUMENT. THE APCH AND LNDG WENT SMOOTHLY WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE RUDDER TO STEER THE ACFT. ONCE THE ACFT SLOWED THROUGH 80 KTS RUDDER USE CAME BACK SO THE PROB WAS ONLY AT HIGHER SPDS AND WAS A PROB WITH THE RUDDER BIAS SYS OF THE ACFT. WE WERE ABLE TO TAXI BACK TO RAMP AND RUDDER PEDALS WERE OPERABLE JUST A LITTLE STIFF. UPON REACHING THE GATE WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. WE ASKED FOR THE TRUCKS TO STAND BY FOR PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE ACFT AS WE WERE LNDG WITH A XWIND. IN RETROSPECT THE CHKLIST SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLR AS TO THE EFIS SIT, IT ENDED AFTER PULLING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. CRM WAS LACKING AS THE CAPT DIDN'T WANT TO BRIEF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THERE WAS AN ERROR OF COM AS THE TWR THOUGHT WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER. IT WAS NEVER IMPLIED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR THE FAILED EFIS SYS WAS UNKNOWN BUT THE RPTR FOLLOWED UP ON THE RUDDER FAULT AND SAID MAINT FOUND WATER IN THE PITOT LINE INPUT TO THE RUDDER BIAS OR ARTIFICIAL FEEL UNIT.

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.