Narrative:

Level at FL310, ATC gave us a turn for traffic. During the turn received the message 'autoplt trim lowered.' disconnected the autoplt and found my controls jammed. Notified first officer to take control of the aircraft, because I had the jammed yoke, and he was able to level the aircraft, but said he had to use great amount of pressure. Once level, we engaged the autoplt again and started checking all the systems pages. Hydraulic, flight controls, electrics were normal. Since we had takeoff from isp under heavy showers, and had them through the climb for about 15 mins. Encountering ice also, we both suspected that perhaps we had something frozen within the control surfaces or servos. After talking to both company's maintenance and dispatch, we went ahead and declared an emergency with ATC. We explained to them what we had, and that we needed to divert to huntington, wv, since dispatch told us that was the nearest airport with winds straight down the runway. Flight attendant was brought to the cockpit and explained the situation, and asked her to prepare the passenger for a possible crash landing. I also using the PA system told the passenger of our situation. During the descent as we got into warmer temperatures, I started noticing that I was slowly gaining some control of the ailerons, and because of this, the first officer and myself ruled out the need to perform the jammed ailerons chcklist, and continue this way. On final I had about the same amount of control as he did, so I decided to make the landing. On short final, as I was getting ready to flare, I noticed that the elevators were also requiring more than normal amount of pressure, so I asked the first officer to help me with the flare. The landing was uneventful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the loss of the aircraft aileron control system was believed to have been caused by ice formed after takeoff in heavy showers. As the aircraft descended into warmer air the aileron controls became progressively better and when on the ground no fault could be found. Some stiffness was noted in the elevators on landing. He was convinced icing was the problem. This aircraft was one of the older canadair CL65 models in service. Callback from acn 475305: the reporter stated he believed the aileron control problem was caused by ice after a takeoff in heavy rain. Maintenance replaced an autoplt aileron servo, but this was not the cause of the problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 IN CRUISE AT FL310 DECLARED AN EMERAND DIVERTED WHEN THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THE CAPTAINS AILERON CTL JAMMED AND THE FIRST OFFICER REQUIRED GREAT PRESSURE TO LEVEL ACFT.

Narrative: LEVEL AT FL310, ATC GAVE US A TURN FOR TFC. DURING THE TURN RECEIVED THE MESSAGE 'AUTOPLT TRIM LOWERED.' DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND FOUND MY CTLS JAMMED. NOTIFIED FO TO TAKE CTL OF THE ACFT, BECAUSE I HAD THE JAMMED YOKE, AND HE WAS ABLE TO LEVEL THE ACFT, BUT SAID HE HAD TO USE GREAT AMOUNT OF PRESSURE. ONCE LEVEL, WE ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AGAIN AND STARTED CHKING ALL THE SYSTEMS PAGES. HYD, FLT CTLS, ELECTRICS WERE NORMAL. SINCE WE HAD TKOF FROM ISP UNDER HVY SHOWERS, AND HAD THEM THROUGH THE CLB FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. ENCOUNTERING ICE ALSO, WE BOTH SUSPECTED THAT PERHAPS WE HAD SOMETHING FROZEN WITHIN THE CTL SURFACES OR SERVOS. AFTER TALKING TO BOTH COMPANY'S MAINT AND DISPATCH, WE WENT AHEAD AND DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC. WE EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT WE HAD, AND THAT WE NEEDED TO DIVERT TO HUNTINGTON, WV, SINCE DISPATCH TOLD US THAT WAS THE NEAREST ARPT WITH WINDS STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY. FLT ATTENDANT WAS BROUGHT TO THE COCKPIT AND EXPLAINED THE SIT, AND ASKED HER TO PREPARE THE PAX FOR A POSSIBLE CRASH LNDG. I ALSO USING THE PA SYSTEM TOLD THE PAX OF OUR SIT. DURING THE DESCENT AS WE GOT INTO WARMER TEMPS, I STARTED NOTICING THAT I WAS SLOWLY GAINING SOME CTL OF THE AILERONS, AND BECAUSE OF THIS, THE FO AND MYSELF RULED OUT THE NEED TO PERFORM THE JAMMED AILERONS CHCKLIST, AND CONTINUE THIS WAY. ON FINAL I HAD ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF CTL AS HE DID, SO I DECIDED TO MAKE THE LNDG. ON SHORT FINAL, AS I WAS GETTING READY TO FLARE, I NOTICED THAT THE ELEVATORS WERE ALSO REQUIRING MORE THAN NORMAL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE, SO I ASKED THE FO TO HELP ME WITH THE FLARE. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LOSS OF THE ACFT AILERON CTL SYSTEM WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY ICE FORMED AFTER TKOF IN HVY SHOWERS. AS THE ACFT DESCENDED INTO WARMER AIR THE AILERON CTLS BECAME PROGRESSIVELY BETTER AND WHEN ON THE GND NO FAULT COULD BE FOUND. SOME STIFFNESS WAS NOTED IN THE ELEVATORS ON LNDG. HE WAS CONVINCED ICING WAS THE PROB. THIS ACFT WAS ONE OF THE OLDER CANADAIR CL65 MODELS IN SERVICE. CALLBACK FROM ACN 475305: THE RPTR STATED HE BELIEVED THE AILERON CTL PROB WAS CAUSED BY ICE AFTER A TKOF IN HVY RAIN. MAINT REPLACED AN AUTOPLT AILERON SERVO, BUT THIS WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE PROB.

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.