Narrative:

After sitting in heavy rain for 5 hours with maintenance working on a thrust reverser problem, we departed for ZZZ. Prior to departure we used about 5 blankets to soak up all the water that was laying in the galley due to maintenance leaving the door open. During our climb through FL240 en route to FL330 we received an 'autoplt pitch trim aft' caution message. I disconnected the autoplt to adjust the pitch trim and had noticed that the controls seemed stiff. I tried to put a little roll control in and noticed that we had frozen controls. I told the captain and he tried his side. He concurred that the controls were frozen. We agreed that we should descend. So he asked ATC for lower and told them we were having problems with our flight controls. We were then given 15000 ft. I started to initiate the descent, while the captain started to troubleshoot the problem. As we continued our descent, the captain asked for confirmation of pulling the roll disconnect. I agreed, and we determined his controls were the ones that were frozen, so we selected control to my side. We were empty so we began to discuss diverting. The captain then tried to free his side by abruptly turning his yoke. We heard a slight 'pop' and his controls were restored. We then agreed to reconnect the 'roll disconnect' handle and continue to ZZZ at the lower altitude. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane sat on the ground in heavy rain for 5 hours with a maintenance delay. After dispatch and climbing through FL240, the autoplt pitch trim caution warning illuminated and it was discovered that the ailerons were frozen. The flight control disconnect was activated and the left aileron was found to be at fault. The reporter said it broke loose at 15000 ft and remained ok. This was his second experience with frozen ailerons and stabilizer trim and believes it an on going problem with the CL65. The reporter stated this airplane recently had brushes added to the main wheel well edges to prevent ground water from splashing into the aileron rear quadrants and freezing. Maintenance was unable to duplicate the report and everything tested ok. Maintenance replaced the left aileron tension regulator and breakout device as a precautionary measure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL-65 IN CLB AT FL240 EXPERIENCED FROZEN OR JAMMED AILERON CTLS. DISCONNECTED AND ISOLATED PROB TO LEFT AILERON. BROKE FREE AT 15000 FT.

Narrative: AFTER SITTING IN HEAVY RAIN FOR 5 HRS WITH MAINT WORKING ON A THRUST REVERSER PROB, WE DEPARTED FOR ZZZ. PRIOR TO DEP WE USED ABOUT 5 BLANKETS TO SOAK UP ALL THE WATER THAT WAS LAYING IN THE GALLEY DUE TO MAINT LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN. DURING OUR CLB THROUGH FL240 ENRTE TO FL330 WE RECEIVED AN 'AUTOPLT PITCH TRIM AFT' CAUTION MSG. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT TO ADJUST THE PITCH TRIM AND HAD NOTICED THAT THE CTLS SEEMED STIFF. I TRIED TO PUT A LITTLE ROLL CTL IN AND NOTICED THAT WE HAD FROZEN CTLS. I TOLD THE CAPT AND HE TRIED HIS SIDE. HE CONCURRED THAT THE CTLS WERE FROZEN. WE AGREED THAT WE SHOULD DSND. SO HE ASKED ATC FOR LOWER AND TOLD THEM WE WERE HAVING PROBS WITH OUR FLT CTLS. WE WERE THEN GIVEN 15000 FT. I STARTED TO INITIATE THE DSCNT, WHILE THE CAPT STARTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB. AS WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT, THE CAPT ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF PULLING THE ROLL DISCONNECT. I AGREED, AND WE DETERMINED HIS CTLS WERE THE ONES THAT WERE FROZEN, SO WE SELECTED CTL TO MY SIDE. WE WERE EMPTY SO WE BEGAN TO DISCUSS DIVERTING. THE CAPT THEN TRIED TO FREE HIS SIDE BY ABRUPTLY TURNING HIS YOKE. WE HEARD A SLIGHT 'POP' AND HIS CTLS WERE RESTORED. WE THEN AGREED TO RECONNECT THE 'ROLL DISCONNECT' HANDLE AND CONTINUE TO ZZZ AT THE LOWER ALTITUDE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE SAT ON THE GND IN HEAVY RAIN FOR 5 HRS WITH A MAINT DELAY. AFTER DISPATCH AND CLBING THROUGH FL240, THE AUTOPLT PITCH TRIM CAUTION WARNING ILLUMINATED AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AILERONS WERE FROZEN. THE FLT CTL DISCONNECT WAS ACTIVATED AND THE LEFT AILERON WAS FOUND TO BE AT FAULT. THE RPTR SAID IT BROKE LOOSE AT 15000 FT AND REMAINED OK. THIS WAS HIS SECOND EXPERIENCE WITH FROZEN AILERONS AND STABILIZER TRIM AND BELIEVES IT AN ON GOING PROB WITH THE CL65. THE RPTR STATED THIS AIRPLANE RECENTLY HAD BRUSHES ADDED TO THE MAIN WHEEL WELL EDGES TO PREVENT GND WATER FROM SPLASHING INTO THE AILERON REAR QUADRANTS AND FREEZING. MAINT WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE RPT AND EVERYTHING TESTED OK. MAINT REPLACED THE LEFT AILERON TENSION REGULATOR AND BREAKOUT DEVICE AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE.

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.