A canadair CL600 reported heavy and sluggish elevator control on ground and in-flight. Found elevato...

Attributes
ACN	543118
Time
Date	200204
Day	Tue
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Challenger CL600
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise : level ground : taxi
Route In Use	approach : visual departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : student pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 2950 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	543118
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

During taxi out, I performed the first flight checks of the flight controls. I performed the elevator crl check, and noted a 'heavy and sluggish' feeling in the wheel. I brought this to the captain's attention and he checked the yoke also and did not have the same results. Takeoff roll and rotation were followed with a 'heavy' yoke and when approach and landing in ZZZ1, I also had this 'heavy' yoke feel. Upon return to ZZZ, the 'heavy' yoke feel was apparent on takeoff and landing. I again notified the captain and he again checked the controls and didn't note any problems. The next 2 legs were the captain's and he didn't note any problems with the yoke's feel. The last leg from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2, the takeoff had the same previous heavy yoke feel, but on landing in ZZZ2, the yoke felt much heavier and was difficult to get into the flare. So I stated to the captain that we should notify the next crew of the problem. I described the problem to the returning crew and they said they would check it out, and my crew and I left the airport for the overnight. Upon return to ZZZ the next day, the captain received a message that the problem was a control cable which was moved during some maintenance the night before our flight and was not noticed and was rubbing against another part of the aircraft. In ZZZ2, the canadair personnel performed the maintenance who also build the aircraft and are calling this event a control failure. What appears to have caused this problem is a company mechanic moved the control cable while working on the fdr in the tail of the aircraft. The second problem is that the yokes are not connected to the actual cables but are connected to 2 yoke control computers which results in the difference in yoke feel. While each yoke controls both cables they don't actually control each other's yoke. The third problem was I should have asked the captain to check my yoke to feel for a difference. The fourth problem is our limited knowledge of the system. The captain and I thought that the system was slaved to 1 control wheel computer and 1 cable system when it is not.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL600 RPTED HVY AND SLUGGISH ELEVATOR CTL ON GND AND INFLT. FOUND ELEVATOR CTL CABLE DISPLACED WHEN A TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE FDR.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT, I PERFORMED THE FIRST FLT CHKS OF THE FLT CTLS. I PERFORMED THE ELEVATOR CRL CHK, AND NOTED A 'HVY AND SLUGGISH' FEELING IN THE WHEEL. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE CAPT'S ATTN AND HE CHKED THE YOKE ALSO AND DID NOT HAVE THE SAME RESULTS. TKOF ROLL AND ROTATION WERE FOLLOWED WITH A 'HVY' YOKE AND WHEN APCH AND LNDG IN ZZZ1, I ALSO HAD THIS 'HVY' YOKE FEEL. UPON RETURN TO ZZZ, THE 'HVY' YOKE FEEL WAS APPARENT ON TKOF AND LNDG. I AGAIN NOTIFIED THE CAPT AND HE AGAIN CHKED THE CTLS AND DIDN'T NOTE ANY PROBS. THE NEXT 2 LEGS WERE THE CAPT'S AND HE DIDN'T NOTE ANY PROBS WITH THE YOKE'S FEEL. THE LAST LEG FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2, THE TKOF HAD THE SAME PREVIOUS HVY YOKE FEEL, BUT ON LNDG IN ZZZ2, THE YOKE FELT MUCH HEAVIER AND WAS DIFFICULT TO GET INTO THE FLARE. SO I STATED TO THE CAPT THAT WE SHOULD NOTIFY THE NEXT CREW OF THE PROB. I DESCRIBED THE PROB TO THE RETURNING CREW AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHK IT OUT, AND MY CREW AND I LEFT THE ARPT FOR THE OVERNIGHT. UPON RETURN TO ZZZ THE NEXT DAY, THE CAPT RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT THE PROB WAS A CTL CABLE WHICH WAS MOVED DURING SOME MAINT THE NIGHT BEFORE OUR FLT AND WAS NOT NOTICED AND WAS RUBBING AGAINST ANOTHER PART OF THE ACFT. IN ZZZ2, THE CANADAIR PERSONNEL PERFORMED THE MAINT WHO ALSO BUILD THE ACFT AND ARE CALLING THIS EVENT A CTL FAILURE. WHAT APPEARS TO HAVE CAUSED THIS PROB IS A COMPANY MECH MOVED THE CTL CABLE WHILE WORKING ON THE FDR IN THE TAIL OF THE ACFT. THE SECOND PROB IS THAT THE YOKES ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE ACTUAL CABLES BUT ARE CONNECTED TO 2 YOKE CTL COMPUTERS WHICH RESULTS IN THE DIFFERENCE IN YOKE FEEL. WHILE EACH YOKE CTLS BOTH CABLES THEY DON'T ACTUALLY CTL EACH OTHER'S YOKE. THE THIRD PROB WAS I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE CAPT TO CHK MY YOKE TO FEEL FOR A DIFFERENCE. THE FOURTH PROB IS OUR LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF THE SYS. THE CAPT AND I THOUGHT THAT THE SYS WAS SLAVED TO 1 CTL WHEEL COMPUTER AND 1 CABLE SYS WHEN IT IS NOT.

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.

A canadair CL600 reported heavy and sluggish elevator control on ground and in-flight. Found elevator control cable displaced when a technician replaced the fdr.