Narrative:

It was night VMC no crosswinds. I was on short final at xyz when I tried to make a slight correction with my rudder and found the rudder pedals would not move. I tried pushing a little harder, but they would not move. Since I was about to land in 10 seconds I decided not to declare an emergency. After landing I tried kicking a little harder on the rudder pedals. They finally moved a small amount, but with a very bad grinding feel. The next day I talked to the mechanics who fixed it. They said they found a very rusty rudder servo and that I probably had ice on it as well. They also found a large amount of water in the entire tail section. They said the drain holes were plugged up. They said it would take years not months to rust out that servo. Why was the rusty servo overlooked on the last major check? Why is it that all tail sections on all our airlines let water in them on very rainy days? Again our mechanics told me that was true. More questions. Why are the drain holes overlooked for being obstructed on major checks? Could this happen on other F100S and fleet types? According to our mechanics all our airplanes let in water in the tail section like that. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the problem with this aircraft is compartments in the tail not just being wet, but being flooded. The reporter said standing water is not being drained or no drains are installed where the water accumulates. The reporter said the drains that are installed are not being checked for operation in a great enough frequency. The reporter stated the rusty rudder power actuator should have been found on a 'C' check and replaced for condition. The reporter said the yaw damper was operative during the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FK-100 ON APCH AT 1000 FT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF RUDDER CTL CAUSED BY AN ICED UP POWER ACTUATOR AND INPUT QUADRANT MECHANISM.

Narrative: IT WAS NIGHT VMC NO CROSSWINDS. I WAS ON SHORT FINAL AT XYZ WHEN I TRIED TO MAKE A SLIGHT CORRECTION WITH MY RUDDER AND FOUND THE RUDDER PEDALS WOULD NOT MOVE. I TRIED PUSHING A LITTLE HARDER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT MOVE. SINCE I WAS ABOUT TO LAND IN 10 SECS I DECIDED NOT TO DECLARE AN EMER. AFTER LNDG I TRIED KICKING A LITTLE HARDER ON THE RUDDER PEDALS. THEY FINALLY MOVED A SMALL AMOUNT, BUT WITH A VERY BAD GRINDING FEEL. THE NEXT DAY I TALKED TO THE MECHANICS WHO FIXED IT. THEY SAID THEY FOUND A VERY RUSTY RUDDER SERVO AND THAT I PROBABLY HAD ICE ON IT AS WELL. THEY ALSO FOUND A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE ENTIRE TAIL SECTION. THEY SAID THE DRAIN HOLES WERE PLUGGED UP. THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE YEARS NOT MONTHS TO RUST OUT THAT SERVO. WHY WAS THE RUSTY SERVO OVERLOOKED ON THE LAST MAJOR CHECK? WHY IS IT THAT ALL TAIL SECTIONS ON ALL OUR AIRLINES LET WATER IN THEM ON VERY RAINY DAYS? AGAIN OUR MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT WAS TRUE. MORE QUESTIONS. WHY ARE THE DRAIN HOLES OVERLOOKED FOR BEING OBSTRUCTED ON MAJOR CHKS? COULD THIS HAPPEN ON OTHER F100S AND FLEET TYPES? ACCORDING TO OUR MECHANICS ALL OUR AIRPLANES LET IN WATER IN THE TAIL SECTION LIKE THAT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PROB WITH THIS ACFT IS COMPARTMENTS IN THE TAIL NOT JUST BEING WET, BUT BEING FLOODED. THE RPTR SAID STANDING WATER IS NOT BEING DRAINED OR NO DRAINS ARE INSTALLED WHERE THE WATER ACCUMULATES. THE RPTR SAID THE DRAINS THAT ARE INSTALLED ARE NOT BEING CHKED FOR OP IN A GREAT ENOUGH FREQ. THE RPTR STATED THE RUSTY RUDDER POWER ACTUATOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND ON A 'C' CHK AND REPLACED FOR CONDITION. THE RPTR SAID THE YAW DAMPER WAS OPERATIVE DURING THE FLT.

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.