Narrative:

On taxi out, during flight control check, I moved the rudder pedals and they moved full deflection, but the rudder position indicator showed both top and bottom rudder moved full deflection left, the bottom rudder showed full deflection right, and the top rudder showed only 1/3 right deflection. We taxied back to the ramp and had maintenance check the rudder for movement. Maintenance reported that the rudder was operating normally, and therefore the crew wrote up the rudder position indicator as inoperative. This maintenance carryover required a check before each flight. We complied with restrs and operated flight to destination. The following day we picked up the same ship in slc. Prior to departure, we asked maintenance to perform the visual check of rudder operation. They informed us it was a flight crew check and the so inspected/observed rudder operation while the first officer operated rudders. The rudder position indicator showed the same indications as it had when the writeup was made the previous night. The so reported that the rudder was not operating normally. The upper rudder was not moving full right just as the position on the cockpit indicator displayed. Maintenance was called out and discovered that a skin component 'rudder hinge cover' was damaged and hanging up on a skin component on the vertical stabilizer. Movement of the upper rudder was being blocked to the right. Maintenance removed the rudder hinge cover and the rudder moved freely right and left, and the indicator in cockpit showed full movement both right and left with no other maintenance to the indicator. The rudder hinge cover is required for flight and the flight was canceled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 IS FLOWN FOR 4 FLTS WITH A TOP RUDDER MALFUNCTION. AFTER A REQUIRED FLC INSPECTION FOR THE FIFTH FLT, IT WAS DISCOVERED AND ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC FOR MAINT ACTION.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT, DURING FLT CTL CHK, I MOVED THE RUDDER PEDALS AND THEY MOVED FULL DEFLECTION, BUT THE RUDDER POS INDICATOR SHOWED BOTH TOP AND BOTTOM RUDDER MOVED FULL DEFLECTION L, THE BOTTOM RUDDER SHOWED FULL DEFLECTION R, AND THE TOP RUDDER SHOWED ONLY 1/3 R DEFLECTION. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP AND HAD MAINT CHK THE RUDDER FOR MOVEMENT. MAINT RPTED THAT THE RUDDER WAS OPERATING NORMALLY, AND THEREFORE THE CREW WROTE UP THE RUDDER POS INDICATOR AS INOP. THIS MAINT CARRYOVER REQUIRED A CHK BEFORE EACH FLT. WE COMPLIED WITH RESTRS AND OPERATED FLT TO DEST. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE PICKED UP THE SAME SHIP IN SLC. PRIOR TO DEP, WE ASKED MAINT TO PERFORM THE VISUAL CHK OF RUDDER OP. THEY INFORMED US IT WAS A FLC CHK AND THE SO INSPECTED/OBSERVED RUDDER OP WHILE THE FO OPERATED RUDDERS. THE RUDDER POS INDICATOR SHOWED THE SAME INDICATIONS AS IT HAD WHEN THE WRITEUP WAS MADE THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. THE SO RPTED THAT THE RUDDER WAS NOT OPERATING NORMALLY. THE UPPER RUDDER WAS NOT MOVING FULL R JUST AS THE POS ON THE COCKPIT INDICATOR DISPLAYED. MAINT WAS CALLED OUT AND DISCOVERED THAT A SKIN COMPONENT 'RUDDER HINGE COVER' WAS DAMAGED AND HANGING UP ON A SKIN COMPONENT ON THE VERT STABILIZER. MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER RUDDER WAS BEING BLOCKED TO THE R. MAINT REMOVED THE RUDDER HINGE COVER AND THE RUDDER MOVED FREELY R AND L, AND THE INDICATOR IN COCKPIT SHOWED FULL MOVEMENT BOTH R AND L WITH NO OTHER MAINT TO THE INDICATOR. THE RUDDER HINGE COVER IS REQUIRED FOR FLT AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED.

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.