Narrative:

While moving rudder during flight controls check on aircraft X (A-300) to complete the before takeoff checklist, I noticed that the aircraft fuselage shuddered violently with an unusual vibration that seemed to start in the rear of the aircraft and progress forward. Hydraulic pressure, pumps, and whole hydraulic system appeared normal on ECAM. Movement of rudder was slow and deliberate, with no sudden motions and allowing the rudder to center before moving the other direction. All other flight controls seemed to work properly. After deliberation with first officer, I decided to allow ZZZ maintenance to investigate the rudder. Enclosed is the write up from the maintenance log for aircraft X which details the work accomplished by ZZZ to repair the rudder. The aircraft was again presented to me for flight on wed night, march/wed/2002 for ZZZ-ZZZ1. I encountered the exact same problem while checking the rudder and taxied the aircraft back to the chocks. I then informed company duty officer that I felt unsafe flying what I believed to be a defective aircraft. I have filed 2 flight safety reports with company and have notified both the pilot's association union safety office and the FAA safety hotline. It is my opinion the aircraft has a serious defect with the rudder and I consider it totally unsafe and unfit for flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated on return to the gate maintenance was able to duplicate the report of the shuddering with rudder movement. The reporter said the center green rudder actuator was replaced for bypassing and a bushing was found deformed on a stop lever which also was replaced. The reporter stated the next day the airplane was released for service and when the flight controls were tested and the rudder was displaced the airplane again shuddered. The reporter said the airplane was refused and the incident reported to the chief pilot. The reporter stated the company sent a flight crew to fly the airplane to the heavy maintenance base and troubleshoot the airplane en route. The reporter said the flight test crew report was that the airplane operated normally. The reporter stated the company has issued a flight crew alert bulletin explaining that when the airplane is empty and with a light fuel load, the shudder, while unusual, is normal. The reporter said he has operated several empty A-300 airplanes lightly fueled and never experienced this shudder effect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS A300-600 ON FLT CTL CHK PRIOR TO TKOF EXPERIENCED A VIOLENT FUSELAGE SHUDDER WITH MOVEMENT OF THE RUDDER. RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR MAINT.

Narrative: WHILE MOVING RUDDER DURING FLT CTLS CHK ON ACFT X (A-300) TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, I NOTICED THAT THE ACFT FUSELAGE SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY WITH AN UNUSUAL VIBRATION THAT SEEMED TO START IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT AND PROGRESS FORWARD. HYDRAULIC PRESSURE, PUMPS, AND WHOLE HYDRAULIC SYS APPEARED NORMAL ON ECAM. MOVEMENT OF RUDDER WAS SLOW AND DELIBERATE, WITH NO SUDDEN MOTIONS AND ALLOWING THE RUDDER TO CENTER BEFORE MOVING THE OTHER DIRECTION. ALL OTHER FLT CTLS SEEMED TO WORK PROPERLY. AFTER DELIBERATION WITH FO, I DECIDED TO ALLOW ZZZ MAINT TO INVESTIGATE THE RUDDER. ENCLOSED IS THE WRITE UP FROM THE MAINT LOG FOR ACFT X WHICH DETAILS THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY ZZZ TO REPAIR THE RUDDER. THE ACFT WAS AGAIN PRESENTED TO ME FOR FLT ON WED NIGHT, MARCH/WED/2002 FOR ZZZ-ZZZ1. I ENCOUNTERED THE EXACT SAME PROB WHILE CHECKING THE RUDDER AND TAXIED THE ACFT BACK TO THE CHOCKS. I THEN INFORMED COMPANY DUTY OFFICER THAT I FELT UNSAFE FLYING WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE A DEFECTIVE ACFT. I HAVE FILED 2 FLT SAFETY RPTS WITH COMPANY AND HAVE NOTIFIED BOTH THE PLT'S ASSOCIATION UNION SAFETY OFFICE AND THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE. IT IS MY OPINION THE ACFT HAS A SERIOUS DEFECT WITH THE RUDDER AND I CONSIDER IT TOTALLY UNSAFE AND UNFIT FOR FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ON RETURN TO THE GATE MAINT WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE RPT OF THE SHUDDERING WITH RUDDER MOVEMENT. THE RPTR SAID THE CENTER GREEN RUDDER ACTUATOR WAS REPLACED FOR BYPASSING AND A BUSHING WAS FOUND DEFORMED ON A STOP LEVER WHICH ALSO WAS REPLACED. THE RPTR STATED THE NEXT DAY THE AIRPLANE WAS RELEASED FOR SVC AND WHEN THE FLT CTLS WERE TESTED AND THE RUDDER WAS DISPLACED THE AIRPLANE AGAIN SHUDDERED. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUSED AND THE INCIDENT RPTED TO THE CHIEF PLT. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY SENT A FLT CREW TO FLY THE AIRPLANE TO THE HEAVY MAINT BASE AND TROUBLESHOOT THE AIRPLANE ENRTE. THE RPTR SAID THE FLT TEST CREW RPT WAS THAT THE AIRPLANE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY HAS ISSUED A FLT CREW ALERT BULLETIN EXPLAINING THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE IS EMPTY AND WITH A LIGHT FUEL LOAD, THE SHUDDER, WHILE UNUSUAL, IS NORMAL. THE RPTR SAID HE HAS OPERATED SEVERAL EMPTY A-300 AIRPLANES LIGHTLY FUELED AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS SHUDDER EFFECT.

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.