Narrative:

After an uneventful flight, while taxiing to the gate I noticed on the flight controls system page that the rudder was in the 'limited' position. Believing that it should be unlimited at that time, I pushed the 'unlimit' button. The caption on the flight controls system page turned to 'not limited' and the blue status message 'rudder man unlimit' appeared on the EICAS, as I pushed the button again a few seconds later. The status message extinguished. At no time during flight or on the ground did we receive any warnings or indications that there was anything unusual about any flight control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated on taxi in the EICAS displayed a 'rudder limited' warning and should have displayed a rudder unlimited indication. The reporter said the warning was written up and the airplane taken OTS and later returned to service with a sign-off indicating the system ground checked ok. The reporter stated the next flight crew was on takeoff when the EICAS warning again was displayed and the operating manual required immediate return. The reporter said maintenance found a bare wire rubbing to ground on the rudder actuator connector giving the warning. The reporter stated the wiring was repaired and the rudder actuator was replaced precautionary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DORNIER 328 ON TAXI IN HAD EICAS MESSAGE 'RUDDER LIMITED' SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN UNLIMITED POS. CAUSED BY FALSE WARNING.

Narrative: AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT, WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE I NOTICED ON THE FLT CTLS SYS PAGE THAT THE RUDDER WAS IN THE 'LIMITED' POS. BELIEVING THAT IT SHOULD BE UNLIMITED AT THAT TIME, I PUSHED THE 'UNLIMIT' BUTTON. THE CAPTION ON THE FLT CTLS SYS PAGE TURNED TO 'NOT LIMITED' AND THE BLUE STATUS MESSAGE 'RUDDER MAN UNLIMIT' APPEARED ON THE EICAS, AS I PUSHED THE BUTTON AGAIN A FEW SECONDS LATER. THE STATUS MESSAGE EXTINGUISHED. AT NO TIME DURING FLT OR ON THE GND DID WE RECEIVE ANY WARNINGS OR INDICATIONS THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT ANY FLT CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ON TAXI IN THE EICAS DISPLAYED A 'RUDDER LIMITED' WARNING AND SHOULD HAVE DISPLAYED A RUDDER UNLIMITED INDICATION. THE RPTR SAID THE WARNING WAS WRITTEN UP AND THE AIRPLANE TAKEN OTS AND LATER RETURNED TO SVC WITH A SIGN-OFF INDICATING THE SYS GND CHKED OK. THE RPTR STATED THE NEXT FLC WAS ON TKOF WHEN THE EICAS WARNING AGAIN WAS DISPLAYED AND THE OPERATING MANUAL REQUIRED IMMEDIATE RETURN. THE RPTR SAID MAINT FOUND A BARE WIRE RUBBING TO GND ON THE RUDDER ACTUATOR CONNECTOR GIVING THE WARNING. THE RPTR STATED THE WIRING WAS REPAIRED AND THE RUDDER ACTUATOR WAS REPLACED PRECAUTIONARY.

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.