A B737-300 discovers a malfunctioning aileron during pre takeoff check at iah, tx.

Attributes
ACN	407149
Time
Date	199805
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mex
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	407149
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight xx taxied out. As we began our taxi check and checked our flight controls, a very assertive and observant first officer noticed that no aileron came up no the right wing. We checked the left wing and we had aileron and spoiler come up. We did have a spoiler come up only on the right wing. We called maintenance and returned to the gate and discovered the aileron cable had broken. Thanks to the first officer for doing just a little extra which stemmed from his civilian backgnd on smaller aircraft. Boeing needs to address this problem as we found out it was not the first occurrence in recent time that this occurred. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the first officer checked the aileron during the pre takeoff flight control check and noticed the right aileron did not move up when the control wheel was turned to the right. Reporter was grateful the first officer was checking the flight controls. Aircraft was taxied back to the gate and maintenance discovered a broken cable that moves the aileron. He further stated that maintenance informed him that this type of failure is the third one in the last 2 yrs at his air carrier.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 DISCOVERS A MALFUNCTIONING AILERON DURING PRE TKOF CHK AT IAH, TX.

Narrative: FLT XX TAXIED OUT. AS WE BEGAN OUR TAXI CHK AND CHKED OUR FLT CTLS, A VERY ASSERTIVE AND OBSERVANT FO NOTICED THAT NO AILERON CAME UP NO THE R WING. WE CHKED THE L WING AND WE HAD AILERON AND SPOILER COME UP. WE DID HAVE A SPOILER COME UP ONLY ON THE R WING. WE CALLED MAINT AND RETURNED TO THE GATE AND DISCOVERED THE AILERON CABLE HAD BROKEN. THANKS TO THE FO FOR DOING JUST A LITTLE EXTRA WHICH STEMMED FROM HIS CIVILIAN BACKGND ON SMALLER ACFT. BOEING NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROB AS WE FOUND OUT IT WAS NOT THE FIRST OCCURRENCE IN RECENT TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FO CHKED THE AILERON DURING THE PRE TKOF FLT CTL CHK AND NOTICED THE R AILERON DID NOT MOVE UP WHEN THE CTL WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE R. RPTR WAS GRATEFUL THE FO WAS CHKING THE FLT CTLS. ACFT WAS TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND MAINT DISCOVERED A BROKEN CABLE THAT MOVES THE AILERON. HE FURTHER STATED THAT MAINT INFORMED HIM THAT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS THE THIRD ONE IN THE LAST 2 YRS AT HIS ACR.

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.