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A-320 crew had a sharp yaw as the aircraft rotated on takeoff. The aircraft had chronic maintenance problems with rudder travel limiter failures.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 585345 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200306 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : smf.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : takeoff roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 585345 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| ASRS Report | 585346 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 6 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : fault isolation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
First officer was making takeoff, flaps 3 degree flex, calm winds, no preceding traffic of consequence (C172 took off ahead of us). Runway was smooth. I called V1, vr, V2 -- normal rotation technique used by first officer. As nosewheel left the ground, a sharp lateral movement (yaw) was felt. My eyes which had been outside the cockpit instinctively went to the engine instruments as it felt to me as if we had lost an engine. All engine parameters were normal and matched with each other. Copilot handled the yaw and continued to take off and climb. We conferred on what happened and decided it was an uncommanded yaw, origin uncertain, but unlikely to be of external origin. I called purser and she said she felt a sideways movement which apparently caused her some concern, even alarm. I called air carrier and patched in maintenance and reported issue in light of numerous gripes on rudder travel limiter failures. We reached concensus that there was no need to return to smf and that in light of no repeat of event we were ok to continue. Rest of flight uneventful except for cargo door light on landing which immediately self corrected. Supplemental information from acn 585346: during takeoff and while rotating, the aircraft yawed sharply. I countered with opposite rudder and continued the takeoff. The captain and I determined that all engine and ECAM indications were normal, however, we conferred with maintenance and dispatch and it was recommended that we continue to destination. The rest of the flight was uneventful.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A-320 CREW HAD A SHARP YAW AS THE ACFT ROTATED ON TKOF. THE ACFT HAD CHRONIC MAINT PROBS WITH RUDDER TRAVEL LIMITER FAILURES.
Narrative: FO WAS MAKING TKOF, FLAPS 3 DEG FLEX, CALM WINDS, NO PRECEDING TFC OF CONSEQUENCE (C172 TOOK OFF AHEAD OF US). RWY WAS SMOOTH. I CALLED V1, VR, V2 -- NORMAL ROTATION TECHNIQUE USED BY FO. AS NOSEWHEEL LEFT THE GND, A SHARP LATERAL MOVEMENT (YAW) WAS FELT. MY EYES WHICH HAD BEEN OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT INSTINCTIVELY WENT TO THE ENG INSTS AS IT FELT TO ME AS IF WE HAD LOST AN ENG. ALL ENG PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL AND MATCHED WITH EACH OTHER. COPLT HANDLED THE YAW AND CONTINUED TO TAKE OFF AND CLB. WE CONFERRED ON WHAT HAPPENED AND DECIDED IT WAS AN UNCOMMANDED YAW, ORIGIN UNCERTAIN, BUT UNLIKELY TO BE OF EXTERNAL ORIGIN. I CALLED PURSER AND SHE SAID SHE FELT A SIDEWAYS MOVEMENT WHICH APPARENTLY CAUSED HER SOME CONCERN, EVEN ALARM. I CALLED ACR AND PATCHED IN MAINT AND RPTED ISSUE IN LIGHT OF NUMEROUS GRIPES ON RUDDER TRAVEL LIMITER FAILURES. WE REACHED CONCENSUS THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO RETURN TO SMF AND THAT IN LIGHT OF NO REPEAT OF EVENT WE WERE OK TO CONTINUE. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR CARGO DOOR LIGHT ON LNDG WHICH IMMEDIATELY SELF CORRECTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 585346: DURING TKOF AND WHILE ROTATING, THE ACFT YAWED SHARPLY. I COUNTERED WITH OPPOSITE RUDDER AND CONTINUED THE TKOF. THE CAPT AND I DETERMINED THAT ALL ENG AND ECAM INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL, HOWEVER, WE CONFERRED WITH MAINT AND DISPATCH AND IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE CONTINUE TO DEST. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.
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.