Narrative:

Copilot was flying the eau-3 STAR arrival into minneapolis-st paul international airport with the autoplt off. While in his turn at the 8 mi fix and 10000 ft to the 300 degree heading the flight controls bound up in the pitch mode. Significant pressure was required (back pressure) to free up the flight controls. A significant snapping sound could be heard and felt coming from the captain's yoke. This incident only occurred one time. This particular flight was a ferry flight with no passenger aboard. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed the cause of the flight controls binding during descent. After landing, maintenance found a loose piece of ducting that lodged into the flight controls and was binding the captain's control yoke. When additional pressure was applied it crushed the ducting which released the flight controls. There was no more binding of flight controls after that. The loose ducting also explained the snapping sound as the ducting was crushed with control movement. There was no more control binding after this occurrence. Reporter surmises that because the aircraft was purchased from another airline that went out of business, the bankrupt air carrier didn't take good care of its aircraft. Maintenance is loosely performed when a company has economic problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 DSNDING INTO MSP HAS THE ELEVATOR CTLS BIND AND FREEZE. AS THE FLT CONTINUES, THE CTLS BECOME NORMAL.

Narrative: COPLT WAS FLYING THE EAU-3 STAR ARR INTO MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL INTL ARPT WITH THE AUTOPLT OFF. WHILE IN HIS TURN AT THE 8 MI FIX AND 10000 FT TO THE 300 DEG HDG THE FLT CTLS BOUND UP IN THE PITCH MODE. SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE WAS REQUIRED (BACK PRESSURE) TO FREE UP THE FLT CTLS. A SIGNIFICANT SNAPPING SOUND COULD BE HEARD AND FELT COMING FROM THE CAPT'S YOKE. THIS INCIDENT ONLY OCCURRED ONE TIME. THIS PARTICULAR FLT WAS A FERRY FLT WITH NO PAX ABOARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THE CAUSE OF THE FLT CTLS BINDING DURING DSCNT. AFTER LNDG, MAINT FOUND A LOOSE PIECE OF DUCTING THAT LODGED INTO THE FLT CTLS AND WAS BINDING THE CAPT'S CTL YOKE. WHEN ADDITIONAL PRESSURE WAS APPLIED IT CRUSHED THE DUCTING WHICH RELEASED THE FLT CTLS. THERE WAS NO MORE BINDING OF FLT CTLS AFTER THAT. THE LOOSE DUCTING ALSO EXPLAINED THE SNAPPING SOUND AS THE DUCTING WAS CRUSHED WITH CTL MOVEMENT. THERE WAS NO MORE CTL BINDING AFTER THIS OCCURRENCE. RPTR SURMISES THAT BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS PURCHASED FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE THAT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS, THE BANKRUPT ACR DIDN'T TAKE GOOD CARE OF ITS ACFT. MAINT IS LOOSELY PERFORMED WHEN A COMPANY HAS ECONOMIC PROBS.

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.