Carj crew found 'very poor' roll control to the right and even worse control to the left. Problem dissipated when descending below the freezing level. There was heavy rain at the departure station.

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Attributes
ACN	561209
Time
Date	200209
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : czyz.artcc
State Reference	ON
Altitude	msl single value : 25000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Rain Ice
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czyz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	561209
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas trim msg other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : overrode automation
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During descent from FL250, autoplt maximum wing down trim caution messages were illuminated. Following QRH procedures, autoplt was disconnected. Crew discovered right roll control was very poor and left roll control was worse. Crew discussed possibility of ice build-up in controls due to heavy precipitation at departure and during climb. As descent continued to warmer air (approximately 0 degrees C) full and normal control of roll was experienced! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicates that the aircraft has cable controls that run through the wheel well area. The hydraulic control units are in the wing, downstream of the cables. Water is able to enter the wheel well area and the cables bind or lock up when the cables are frozen by water. The captain indicates that previously issued airworthiness directive notes require the installation of a seal in a gap area in the wheel well, and greasing the control cables to prevent ice from sticking to the cables. The airworthiness directive also requires the autoplt be disconnected every 5000 ft, during climb, to exercise the lateral control, as the problem still exists. The captain knows of another crew that experienced locked lateral controls which would not release until the ice locking the controls melted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARJ CREW FOUND 'VERY POOR' ROLL CTL TO THE R AND EVEN WORSE CTL TO THE L. PROB DISSIPATED WHEN DSNDING BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL. THERE WAS HVY RAIN AT THE DEP STATION.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT FROM FL250, AUTOPLT MAX WING DOWN TRIM CAUTION MESSAGES WERE ILLUMINATED. FOLLOWING QRH PROCS, AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED. CREW DISCOVERED R ROLL CTL WAS VERY POOR AND L ROLL CTL WAS WORSE. CREW DISCUSSED POSSIBILITY OF ICE BUILD-UP IN CTLS DUE TO HVY PRECIP AT DEP AND DURING CLB. AS DSCNT CONTINUED TO WARMER AIR (APPROX 0 DEGS C) FULL AND NORMAL CTL OF ROLL WAS EXPERIENCED! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATES THAT THE ACFT HAS CABLE CTLS THAT RUN THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL AREA. THE HYD CTL UNITS ARE IN THE WING, DOWNSTREAM OF THE CABLES. WATER IS ABLE TO ENTER THE WHEEL WELL AREA AND THE CABLES BIND OR LOCK UP WHEN THE CABLES ARE FROZEN BY WATER. THE CAPT INDICATES THAT PREVIOUSLY ISSUED AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE NOTES REQUIRE THE INSTALLATION OF A SEAL IN A GAP AREA IN THE WHEEL WELL, AND GREASING THE CTL CABLES TO PREVENT ICE FROM STICKING TO THE CABLES. THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ALSO REQUIRES THE AUTOPLT BE DISCONNECTED EVERY 5000 FT, DURING CLB, TO EXERCISE THE LATERAL CTL, AS THE PROB STILL EXISTS. THE CAPT KNOWS OF ANOTHER CREW THAT EXPERIENCED LOCKED LATERAL CTLS WHICH WOULD NOT RELEASE UNTIL THE ICE LOCKING THE CTLS MELTED.

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.