Flight crew of a SAAB340 return land shortly after departure due to an unusual aileron control bindi...

Attributes
ACN	427979
Time
Date	199902
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing other other
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	427979
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	427837
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On climb out, captain (PF) noticed that the aileron controls were binding. Controls would bind initially then release. Controls appeared to bind in neutral position, lots of force needed to move them. Once controls moved, they seemed to release. Then when opposite force applied, controls would again bind. Since aircraft was still ctlable, no emergency was declared. Complied with appropriate checklist and returned to msp. Upon further reflection we probably should have declared an emergency since incident involved flight controls. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the mechanic that met them after their return land advised that they found a squared off pulley in the aileron system due to wear and that it was replaced. He was asked if he had flown other same make and model SF340A aircraft and if so, experienced a similar problem. He said that he has flown several aircraft in the fleet for 250 hours, and had not experienced or heard any other pilots comment on having a similar experience. In addition, there were no known previous discrepancy write-ups for this same problem recorded in the aircraft logbooks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A SAAB340 RETURN LAND SHORTLY AFTER DEP DUE TO AN UNUSUAL AILERON CTL BINDING ABNORMALITY. FLC DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT, CAPT (PF) NOTICED THAT THE AILERON CTLS WERE BINDING. CTLS WOULD BIND INITIALLY THEN RELEASE. CTLS APPEARED TO BIND IN NEUTRAL POS, LOTS OF FORCE NEEDED TO MOVE THEM. ONCE CTLS MOVED, THEY SEEMED TO RELEASE. THEN WHEN OPPOSITE FORCE APPLIED, CTLS WOULD AGAIN BIND. SINCE ACFT WAS STILL CTLABLE, NO EMER WAS DECLARED. COMPLIED WITH APPROPRIATE CHKLIST AND RETURNED TO MSP. UPON FURTHER REFLECTION WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER SINCE INCIDENT INVOLVED FLT CTLS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE MECH THAT MET THEM AFTER THEIR RETURN LAND ADVISED THAT THEY FOUND A SQUARED OFF PULLEY IN THE AILERON SYS DUE TO WEAR AND THAT IT WAS REPLACED. HE WAS ASKED IF HE HAD FLOWN OTHER SAME MAKE AND MODEL SF340A ACFT AND IF SO, EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR PROB. HE SAID THAT HE HAS FLOWN SEVERAL ACFT IN THE FLEET FOR 250 HRS, AND HAD NOT EXPERIENCED OR HEARD ANY OTHER PLTS COMMENT ON HAVING A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE NO KNOWN PREVIOUS DISCREPANCY WRITE-UPS FOR THIS SAME PROB RECORDED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOKS.

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.

Flight crew of a SAAB340 return land shortly after departure due to an unusual aileron control binding abnormality. Flight crew did not declare an emergency.