Narrative:

Had noticed a brief (approximately 2 seconds) vibration in control yoke 2 times during the 3 previous legs. Didn't know what it was, but due to airspace we were flying in (lga and yul) considered possibility of wake turbulence. On last of 4 legs (myr to ZZZ) noticed this occurence again on climb out -- no possibility of wake turbulence encounter. Noted this occurred at about 300 KIAS between 10000 and 15000 ft on the 3 times that it occurred. Brought up flight control synoptic page during cruise and noticed right elevator icon 'jiggling' -- left elevator icon steady. Contacted maintenance control via commercial radio and described problem. Maintenance control said little except to continue and bring it to ZZZ and they would look at it. Continued flight with some apprehension and decided, with first officer input, that we would divert immediately if any control changes were noted. Discussed possible relationship between possible elevator problem and autoplt disconnect at flap extension on previous approaches. Also discussed plans for approach -- careful monitoring of flight control page, autoplt behavior, yoke 'flutter.' naturally, none of the observed occurences were seen during last approach. Landed uneventfully and wrote up aircraft and all observed items. Line maintenance 'tested' elevator movement and found it to be 'within limits.' I explained observed items and said I would not fly aircraft until it was inspected. Briefed captain who was to take aircraft next and advised her not to accept aircraft. Contacted chief pilot to advise of possible flight control problem. He sent to hangar where inspection found a 'hard failure' of an elevator servo. Also replaced elevator position sender. If I had known this in flight, I would have diverted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the vibration was the right elevator power unit which was discovered to be faulty. A right elevator position sensor was also replaced. The airplane was only removed from service when he insisted it not to be flown and after a call to the chief pilot. This was one of the older airplanes in the fleet with 15000 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 IN CLB BTWN 10000 AND 15000 FT EXPERIENCED ELEVATOR FLUTTER OR VIBRATION IN CTL COLUMN TWICE IN 2 SECOND INTERVALS CAUSED BY A FAILED RIGHT ELEVATOR CTL PWR UNIT.

Narrative: HAD NOTICED A BRIEF (APPROX 2 SECONDS) VIBRATION IN CTL YOKE 2 TIMES DURING THE 3 PREVIOUS LEGS. DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT DUE TO AIRSPACE WE WERE FLYING IN (LGA AND YUL) CONSIDERED POSSIBILITY OF WAKE TURBULENCE. ON LAST OF 4 LEGS (MYR TO ZZZ) NOTICED THIS OCCURENCE AGAIN ON CLIMB OUT -- NO POSSIBILITY OF WAKE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER. NOTED THIS OCCURRED AT ABOUT 300 KIAS BTWN 10000 AND 15000 FT ON THE 3 TIMES THAT IT OCCURRED. BROUGHT UP FLIGHT CTL SYNOPTIC PAGE DURING CRUISE AND NOTICED RIGHT ELEVATOR ICON 'JIGGLING' -- LEFT ELEVATOR ICON STEADY. CONTACTED MAINT CTL VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO AND DESCRIBED PROB. MAINT CTL SAID LITTLE EXCEPT TO CONTINUE AND BRING IT TO ZZZ AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. CONTINUED FLIGHT WITH SOME APPREHENSION AND DECIDED, WITH FO INPUT, THAT WE WOULD DIVERT IMMEDIATELY IF ANY CTL CHANGES WERE NOTED. DISCUSSED POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP BTWN POSSIBLE ELEVATOR PROB AND AUTOPLT DISCONNECT AT FLAP EXTENSION ON PREVIOUS APPROACHES. ALSO DISCUSSED PLANS FOR APCH -- CAREFUL MONITORING OF FLT CTL PAGE, AUTOPLT BEHAVIOR, YOKE 'FLUTTER.' NATURALLY, NONE OF THE OBSERVED OCCURENCES WERE SEEN DURING LAST APCH. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND WROTE UP ACFT AND ALL OBSERVED ITEMS. LINE MAINT 'TESTED' ELEVATOR MOVEMENT AND FOUND IT TO BE 'WITHIN LIMITS.' I EXPLAINED OBSERVED ITEMS AND SAID I WOULD NOT FLY ACFT UNTIL IT WAS INSPECTED. BRIEFED CAPT WHO WAS TO TAKE ACFT NEXT AND ADVISED HER NOT TO ACCEPT ACFT. CONTACTED CHIEF PLT TO ADVISE OF POSSIBLE FLT CTL PROB. HE SENT TO HANGAR WHERE INSPECTION FOUND A 'HARD FAILURE' OF AN ELEVATOR SERVO. ALSO REPLACED ELEVATOR POSITION SENDER. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS IN FLT, I WOULD HAVE DIVERTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION WAS THE RIGHT ELEVATOR PWR UNIT WHICH WAS DISCOVERED TO BE FAULTY. A RIGHT ELEVATOR POSITION SENSOR WAS ALSO REPLACED. THE AIRPLANE WAS ONLY REMOVED FROM SERVICE WHEN HE INSISTED IT NOT TO BE FLOWN AND AFTER A CALL TO THE CHIEF PLT. THIS WAS ONE OF THE OLDER AIRPLANES IN THE FLEET WITH 15000 HOURS.

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.