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An airbus 300 flight crew reported a significant rudder kick when trying to engage the #1 autoplt on departure from sdq.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 450951 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 450951 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial |
| ASRS Report | 450950 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : testing |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
The aircraft had a previous rudder write-up that I was aware of. We had used the #2 autoplt on the first leg and all was normal. On the second leg, I attempted to engage the #1 autoplt. I was at 11000 ft doing 320 KTS. When I attempted to engage it, I got a significant rudder kick. At the same instant, the rudder disengaged with the associated warning. The autoplt switch did not actually catch in the 'on' position. The rudder movement was not large but very abrupt and very loud -- you could feel it. The flight attendants called the cockpit and asked what had happened. I used the other autoplt for the rest of the flight with no problem. The #1 flight director was placarded as inoperative, so I was boot strapped to the #2 source. I don't know whether that had anything to do with it or not. Possibly we had a bad #1 autoplt channel. The event did not induce any kind of an unusual attitude or anything like that.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIRBUS 300 FLC RPTED A SIGNIFICANT RUDDER KICK WHEN TRYING TO ENGAGE THE #1 AUTOPLT ON DEP FROM SDQ.
Narrative: THE ACFT HAD A PREVIOUS RUDDER WRITE-UP THAT I WAS AWARE OF. WE HAD USED THE #2 AUTOPLT ON THE FIRST LEG AND ALL WAS NORMAL. ON THE SECOND LEG, I ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE #1 AUTOPLT. I WAS AT 11000 FT DOING 320 KTS. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE IT, I GOT A SIGNIFICANT RUDDER KICK. AT THE SAME INSTANT, THE RUDDER DISENGAGED WITH THE ASSOCIATED WARNING. THE AUTOPLT SWITCH DID NOT ACTUALLY CATCH IN THE 'ON' POS. THE RUDDER MOVEMENT WAS NOT LARGE BUT VERY ABRUPT AND VERY LOUD -- YOU COULD FEEL IT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED THE COCKPIT AND ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I USED THE OTHER AUTOPLT FOR THE REST OF THE FLT WITH NO PROB. THE #1 FLT DIRECTOR WAS PLACARDED AS INOP, SO I WAS BOOT STRAPPED TO THE #2 SOURCE. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT OR NOT. POSSIBLY WE HAD A BAD #1 AUTOPLT CHANNEL. THE EVENT DID NOT INDUCE ANY KIND OF AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
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.