Narrative:

Ewr-mke. Departed ewr after a long taxi in a hard rain with strong driving surface winds. On later part of climb out the autoplt was unable to fly aircraft. On taking over manually, concluded elevator control frozen. We suspected ice due to the ewr conditions. First officer went to work checking WX at various airports. Prime interests being temperatures and any known freezing levels and long runways without a crosswind. The east coast wasn't an option due to WX. The wind/runway consideration was if we were unable to free the elevator even though in warmer air (we only suspected ice -- not positive of cause). First officer contacted company maintenance and dispatch. They recommended running APU (heat in aft compartment) and operating airfoil anti-ice. Started a gradual descent from fnt to mke. (Temperature 2 degrees, winds almost down, 9690 ft runway 1L.) controls freed up at 8000 ft over lake, we anticipated warmer air over lake. Landed normally. Aircraft flew very well with trim in cruise and descent. How it would fly configuring and landing is speculative. For 2 man crew -- high workload, first officer checking WX, talking to company. Captain flying, coordinating descent with ATC. Also giving cabin crew a heads up in case controls wouldn't free up. Built 'time box' based on fuel to prepare cabin if it came to it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this type of incident has happened at least twice in the recent past. The maintenance department is preparing a report for the NTSB on these incidents and looking into the possibility of autoplt malfunction and or icing of the elevators and the associated cable and drainage system for the control cables. The reporter states that the autoplt acted like the aircraft was behind and trying to deal with wave action and that he disconnected the autoplt and was able to fly the airplane manually and trim with the yoke trim which is about 10 times faster than the autoplt trim. Also some drainage holes were found to be plugged and a possibility of freezing around the cable structures after waiting 40 mins in driving rain then climbing into icing conditions shortly after takeoff. He states that the takeoff runway was very wet but doubts that further contamination was a factor on takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARTIAL DC9 LOSS OF CTL AFTER TKOF AND CLB IN RAIN AND ICING CONDITIONS FROM EWR.

Narrative: EWR-MKE. DEPARTED EWR AFTER A LONG TAXI IN A HARD RAIN WITH STRONG DRIVING SURFACE WINDS. ON LATER PART OF CLBOUT THE AUTOPLT WAS UNABLE TO FLY ACFT. ON TAKING OVER MANUALLY, CONCLUDED ELEVATOR CTL FROZEN. WE SUSPECTED ICE DUE TO THE EWR CONDITIONS. FO WENT TO WORK CHKING WX AT VARIOUS ARPTS. PRIME INTERESTS BEING TEMPS AND ANY KNOWN FREEZING LEVELS AND LONG RWYS WITHOUT A XWIND. THE EAST COAST WASN'T AN OPTION DUE TO WX. THE WIND/RWY CONSIDERATION WAS IF WE WERE UNABLE TO FREE THE ELEVATOR EVEN THOUGH IN WARMER AIR (WE ONLY SUSPECTED ICE -- NOT POSITIVE OF CAUSE). FO CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT AND DISPATCH. THEY RECOMMENDED RUNNING APU (HEAT IN AFT COMPARTMENT) AND OPERATING AIRFOIL ANTI-ICE. STARTED A GRADUAL DSCNT FROM FNT TO MKE. (TEMP 2 DEGS, WINDS ALMOST DOWN, 9690 FT RWY 1L.) CTLS FREED UP AT 8000 FT OVER LAKE, WE ANTICIPATED WARMER AIR OVER LAKE. LANDED NORMALLY. ACFT FLEW VERY WELL WITH TRIM IN CRUISE AND DSCNT. HOW IT WOULD FLY CONFIGURING AND LNDG IS SPECULATIVE. FOR 2 MAN CREW -- HIGH WORKLOAD, FO CHKING WX, TALKING TO COMPANY. CAPT FLYING, COORDINATING DSCNT WITH ATC. ALSO GIVING CABIN CREW A HEADS UP IN CASE CTLS WOULDN'T FREE UP. BUILT 'TIME BOX' BASED ON FUEL TO PREPARE CABIN IF IT CAME TO IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST TWICE IN THE RECENT PAST. THE MAINT DEPT IS PREPARING A RPT FOR THE NTSB ON THESE INCIDENTS AND LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION AND OR ICING OF THE ELEVATORS AND THE ASSOCIATED CABLE AND DRAINAGE SYS FOR THE CTL CABLES. THE RPTR STATES THAT THE AUTOPLT ACTED LIKE THE ACFT WAS BEHIND AND TRYING TO DEAL WITH WAVE ACTION AND THAT HE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND WAS ABLE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE MANUALLY AND TRIM WITH THE YOKE TRIM WHICH IS ABOUT 10 TIMES FASTER THAN THE AUTOPLT TRIM. ALSO SOME DRAINAGE HOLES WERE FOUND TO BE PLUGGED AND A POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING AROUND THE CABLE STRUCTURES AFTER WAITING 40 MINS IN DRIVING RAIN THEN CLBING INTO ICING CONDITIONS SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. HE STATES THAT THE TKOF RWY WAS VERY WET BUT DOUBTS THAT FURTHER CONTAMINATION WAS A FACTOR ON TKOF.

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.