Narrative:

At rotation, the PF first officer had full yoke deflection to counteract flight control forces. Full left aileron was required to maintain heading. After clean-up, it was decided to dump fuel and return to hnl. Flight control synoptic showed normal with both flight spoilers being up, with full left aileron and spoilers, the right flight spoilers also showed up. Stick shaker activation happened several times, even though IAS was well above the bottom foot. During dump the left dump valve failed and the automatic dump could not keep the fuel balanced nor on schedule. I was assigned to run the fuel system manually, keeping the fuel balanced, and continuing to dump. The captain and first officer continued to fly the airplane and talk to maintenance. After dumping fuel, doing a ctlability check and much briefing of possible scenarios, an approach and landing was made back to hnl. Boeing suggested doing a flaps 28 degree landing. 185 KIAS was used with maximum autobrake. Autoplt was disconnected between 1000 ft and 500 ft AGL. 1/2 of the rudder and aileron trim was removed. (Full trim in each direction was in use.) the captain made a successful landing and 2 tires blew their fuse plugs in the gate. Postflt inspection revealed that the left dump valve had indeed failed and that FOD in the form of a rag was in the spoiler mixer valve causing 3 spoilers in the right wing to deploy. Preflight and before takeoff check did not reveal any spoiler deployment. However, on confign synoptic full up spoiler deployment is easy to identify, partial deployment is easy to miss. Murphy's law apparently in use. Vendor maintenance left rags that almost caused a major disaster. Aircraft had flown flts previous. This also would have been a tough problem with 2 pilots. I am glad I was there to help. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said the problem with the aircraft was partial right wing spoiler deployment not able to be seen on the synoptic instrument panel display during the preflight check. The reporter stated this aircraft had 9 flts since a contract maintenance check and when maintenance opened the main gear door, all sorts of debris including rags fell to the ground. The reporter stated it was then maintenance found a red maintenance rag jammed in the spoiler mixer causing the partial deployment of the right flight spoilers. The reporter said no emergency procedure exists for this event and nothing is called out for the relief pilot to accomplish. The reporter said the captain delegated the dumping of fuel to the reporter and this was a problem as one fuel dump valve failed closed. The reporter stated the FAA has started an investigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 ON TKOF AT ROTATION DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO FULL L AILERON AND RUDDER TRIM REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN HDG CAUSED BY A MAINT RAG LEFT IN THE SPOILER MIXER.

Narrative: AT ROTATION, THE PF FO HAD FULL YOKE DEFLECTION TO COUNTERACT FLT CTL FORCES. FULL L AILERON WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN HDG. AFTER CLEAN-UP, IT WAS DECIDED TO DUMP FUEL AND RETURN TO HNL. FLT CTL SYNOPTIC SHOWED NORMAL WITH BOTH FLT SPOILERS BEING UP, WITH FULL L AILERON AND SPOILERS, THE R FLT SPOILERS ALSO SHOWED UP. STICK SHAKER ACTIVATION HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, EVEN THOUGH IAS WAS WELL ABOVE THE BOTTOM FOOT. DURING DUMP THE L DUMP VALVE FAILED AND THE AUTOMATIC DUMP COULD NOT KEEP THE FUEL BALANCED NOR ON SCHEDULE. I WAS ASSIGNED TO RUN THE FUEL SYS MANUALLY, KEEPING THE FUEL BALANCED, AND CONTINUING TO DUMP. THE CAPT AND FO CONTINUED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AND TALK TO MAINT. AFTER DUMPING FUEL, DOING A CTLABILITY CHK AND MUCH BRIEFING OF POSSIBLE SCENARIOS, AN APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE BACK TO HNL. BOEING SUGGESTED DOING A FLAPS 28 DEG LNDG. 185 KIAS WAS USED WITH MAX AUTOBRAKE. AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED BTWN 1000 FT AND 500 FT AGL. 1/2 OF THE RUDDER AND AILERON TRIM WAS REMOVED. (FULL TRIM IN EACH DIRECTION WAS IN USE.) THE CAPT MADE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG AND 2 TIRES BLEW THEIR FUSE PLUGS IN THE GATE. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE L DUMP VALVE HAD INDEED FAILED AND THAT FOD IN THE FORM OF A RAG WAS IN THE SPOILER MIXER VALVE CAUSING 3 SPOILERS IN THE R WING TO DEPLOY. PREFLT AND BEFORE TKOF CHK DID NOT REVEAL ANY SPOILER DEPLOYMENT. HOWEVER, ON CONFIGN SYNOPTIC FULL UP SPOILER DEPLOYMENT IS EASY TO IDENT, PARTIAL DEPLOYMENT IS EASY TO MISS. MURPHY'S LAW APPARENTLY IN USE. VENDOR MAINT LEFT RAGS THAT ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR DISASTER. ACFT HAD FLOWN FLTS PREVIOUS. THIS ALSO WOULD HAVE BEEN A TOUGH PROB WITH 2 PLTS. I AM GLAD I WAS THERE TO HELP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THE PROB WITH THE ACFT WAS PARTIAL R WING SPOILER DEPLOYMENT NOT ABLE TO BE SEEN ON THE SYNOPTIC INST PANEL DISPLAY DURING THE PREFLT CHK. THE RPTR STATED THIS ACFT HAD 9 FLTS SINCE A CONTRACT MAINT CHK AND WHEN MAINT OPENED THE MAIN GEAR DOOR, ALL SORTS OF DEBRIS INCLUDING RAGS FELL TO THE GND. THE RPTR STATED IT WAS THEN MAINT FOUND A RED MAINT RAG JAMMED IN THE SPOILER MIXER CAUSING THE PARTIAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE R FLT SPOILERS. THE RPTR SAID NO EMER PROC EXISTS FOR THIS EVENT AND NOTHING IS CALLED OUT FOR THE RELIEF PLT TO ACCOMPLISH. THE RPTR SAID THE CAPT DELEGATED THE DUMPING OF FUEL TO THE RPTR AND THIS WAS A PROB AS ONE FUEL DUMP VALVE FAILED CLOSED. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA HAS STARTED AN INVESTIGATION.

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.