Narrative:

First officer made the takeoff and was unable to keep the aircraft on centerline (runway). I (captain) took control of the aircraft well left of centerline and rotated. Control of flight returned to normal. Through 10000 ft, we investigated the problem and found that the first officer's rudder pedals were backwards. Flight was continued without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft had been in storage for 4 yrs and the air carrier had sent mechanics to do the checks necessary to prepare the aircraft for a ferry flight. The reporter said a normal preflight check was made prior to departure and everything appeared normal. The reporter said that on takeoff roll the first officer could not keep the aircraft on the centerline and the aircraft drifted to the right and the reporter took over the controls and centered the aircraft. The reporter stated that about 6000 ft the first officer resumed flying and discovered when pushing the right pedal the aircraft yawed to the left. The reporter said the reporter then took over the flight as the rudder controls were normal on the captain's side. The reporter stated maintenance found the rudder pedal cables were connected to the rudder power unit improperly even though the cables were idented with tape markings. The reporter stated this aircraft 4 yrs earlier was in the process of a 'C' check at a contract maintenance facility when the air carrier owner went bankrupt. The reporter said the aircraft was sold to air carrier B who in turn leased the aircraft to air carrier Z who directed the aircraft 'C' check be completed and then ferried to las for long term storage. The reporter stated the ferry crew composed of a captain from air carrier B and a first officer from air carrier Z who ferried the aircraft to las. The reporter stated the crew experienced the exact same situation on takeoff, the first officer experiencing trouble aligning the aircraft on the runway and the captain taking control. The reporter said the problem was not written up as the captain believed the inexperience of the first officer was the problem. The reporter stated the air carrier Z who now owns the aircraft have no paperwork to cover procedures and checks for crews operating an aircraft out of long term storage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FOKKER F28-4000 ON TKOF WITH THE FO FLYING ACFT WOULD NOT ALIGN WITH CTRLINE OF RWY DUE TO FO'S RUDDER PEDALS CONNECTED BACKWARDS.

Narrative: FO MADE THE TKOF AND WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE ACFT ON CTRLINE (RWY). I (CAPT) TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT WELL L OF CTRLINE AND ROTATED. CTL OF FLT RETURNED TO NORMAL. THROUGH 10000 FT, WE INVESTIGATED THE PROB AND FOUND THAT THE FO'S RUDDER PEDALS WERE BACKWARDS. FLT WAS CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT HAD BEEN IN STORAGE FOR 4 YRS AND THE ACR HAD SENT MECHS TO DO THE CHKS NECESSARY TO PREPARE THE ACFT FOR A FERRY FLT. THE RPTR SAID A NORMAL PREFLT CHK WAS MADE PRIOR TO DEP AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. THE RPTR SAID THAT ON TKOF ROLL THE FO COULD NOT KEEP THE ACFT ON THE CTRLINE AND THE ACFT DRIFTED TO THE R AND THE RPTR TOOK OVER THE CTLS AND CTRED THE ACFT. THE RPTR STATED THAT ABOUT 6000 FT THE FO RESUMED FLYING AND DISCOVERED WHEN PUSHING THE R PEDAL THE ACFT YAWED TO THE L. THE RPTR SAID THE RPTR THEN TOOK OVER THE FLT AS THE RUDDER CTLS WERE NORMAL ON THE CAPT'S SIDE. THE RPTR STATED MAINT FOUND THE RUDDER PEDAL CABLES WERE CONNECTED TO THE RUDDER PWR UNIT IMPROPERLY EVEN THOUGH THE CABLES WERE IDENTED WITH TAPE MARKINGS. THE RPTR STATED THIS ACFT 4 YRS EARLIER WAS IN THE PROCESS OF A 'C' CHK AT A CONTRACT MAINT FACILITY WHEN THE ACR OWNER WENT BANKRUPT. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS SOLD TO ACR B WHO IN TURN LEASED THE ACFT TO ACR Z WHO DIRECTED THE ACFT 'C' CHK BE COMPLETED AND THEN FERRIED TO LAS FOR LONG TERM STORAGE. THE RPTR STATED THE FERRY CREW COMPOSED OF A CAPT FROM ACR B AND A FO FROM ACR Z WHO FERRIED THE ACFT TO LAS. THE RPTR STATED THE CREW EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME SIT ON TKOF, THE FO EXPERIENCING TROUBLE ALIGNING THE ACFT ON THE RWY AND THE CAPT TAKING CTL. THE RPTR SAID THE PROB WAS NOT WRITTEN UP AS THE CAPT BELIEVED THE INEXPERIENCE OF THE FO WAS THE PROB. THE RPTR STATED THE ACR Z WHO NOW OWNS THE ACFT HAVE NO PAPERWORK TO COVER PROCS AND CHKS FOR CREWS OPERATING AN ACFT OUT OF LONG TERM STORAGE.

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.