B737 crew had rudder control begin to freeze during the flight control check.

Attributes
ACN	462457
Time
Date	200002
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 24000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	462457
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	462517
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company FAA
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During flight control check, rudder pedals became progressively stiffer with each rudder application until I was unable to fully deflect rudder. This occurred only with rapid application of rudder. Slow application of rudder produced normal rudder movement and feel, standby rudder produced normal movement and feel. Returned to gate. Aircraft taken to hangar for repair. Supplemental information from acn 462517: on feb/xa/00, flight abc ZZZ-msy at XA00 local time, the captain of this flight did a routine flight control check and noticed a problem. He asked me to do the same check and my conclusion was the same as his. On the aircraft, when a rudder check was done by pushing the rudder pedals at a normal rate the check was normal. When the pedals were pushed at faster rate they became very stiff -- almost to the point that you could not move them and they became jammed. When the B system flight control switch was placed to standby rudder, the rudder pressure on the pedals was about 50 percent less and much better freedom of movement. When the switch was placed back to normal the result was the same as before. We returned to the gate and turned the airplane over to the mechanics.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW HAD RUDDER CTL BEGIN TO FREEZE DURING THE FLT CTL CHECK.

Narrative: DURING FLT CTL CHECK, RUDDER PEDALS BECAME PROGRESSIVELY STIFFER WITH EACH RUDDER APPLICATION UNTIL I WAS UNABLE TO FULLY DEFLECT RUDDER. THIS OCCURRED ONLY WITH RAPID APPLICATION OF RUDDER. SLOW APPLICATION OF RUDDER PRODUCED NORMAL RUDDER MOVEMENT AND FEEL, STANDBY RUDDER PRODUCED NORMAL MOVEMENT AND FEEL. RETURNED TO GATE. ACFT TAKEN TO HANGAR FOR REPAIR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 462517: ON FEB/XA/00, FLT ABC ZZZ-MSY AT XA00 LCL TIME, THE CAPT OF THIS FLT DID A ROUTINE FLT CTL CHECK AND NOTICED A PROB. HE ASKED ME TO DO THE SAME CHK AND MY CONCLUSION WAS THE SAME AS HIS. ON THE ACFT, WHEN A RUDDER CHK WAS DONE BY PUSHING THE RUDDER PEDALS AT A NORMAL RATE THE CHK WAS NORMAL. WHEN THE PEDALS WERE PUSHED AT FASTER RATE THEY BECAME VERY STIFF -- ALMOST TO THE POINT THAT YOU COULD NOT MOVE THEM AND THEY BECAME JAMMED. WHEN THE B SYS FLT CTL SWITCH WAS PLACED TO STANDBY RUDDER, THE RUDDER PRESSURE ON THE PEDALS WAS ABOUT 50 PERCENT LESS AND MUCH BETTER FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT. WHEN THE SWITCH WAS PLACED BACK TO NORMAL THE RESULT WAS THE SAME AS BEFORE. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND TURNED THE AIRPLANE OVER TO THE MECHANICS.

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.