Narrative:

During takeoff rotation, aircraft (yoke) lost or encountered a momentary degradation of pitch control. It then regained it and became more effective until the flaps were up and above 200 indicated, there it felt normal. We returned to field and on approach it did the same, getting worse until fully configured where there was almost a full foot of travel fore and aft on the yoke with no real pitch control. In ground effect, the aircraft was able to change pitch (slightly 1 to 2 degrees) on its own. I did not declare an emergency because we had full control of the aircraft outside of the 'dead spot.' I merely felt the aircraft condition unacceptable. An overweight landing was made (at less than 100 ft per min descent rate) because I did not want to fly around burning off fuel and 'test flying' with passenger onboard. This aircraft has had the same problem before and was deemed ok by the manufacturer. I do not believe it to be ok. I believe it to be a possible link in a future chain. I do have to say though that our company has been doing everything possible to find the problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this pitch control dead spot that occurs at low speed is a chronic item on this airplane. The reporter said the airplane was tested by the manufacturer's test flight crew and found ok for service. The reporter stated the company's technicians checked elevator rigging and adjusted the cable tension. After the test flight the reporter said two other airplanes have the low speed dead spot, but not as severe as the 12 inches fore and aft. The reporter stated the test flight by the manufacturer's test pilots did not enter any logbook entry on the test flight, but gave a verbal ok for service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB 145 ON TKOF ROTATION, EXPERIENCED A DEAD SPOT IN THE PITCH CTL. THE YOKE REQUIRED ALMOST 12 INCHES FORE AND AFT WITH DEGRADATION IN PITCH CTL. SAME EFFECT ON LNDG APCH AT LOW SPEED.

Narrative: DURING TKOF ROTATION, ACFT (YOKE) LOST OR ENCOUNTERED A MOMENTARY DEGRADATION OF PITCH CTL. IT THEN REGAINED IT AND BECAME MORE EFFECTIVE UNTIL THE FLAPS WERE UP AND ABOVE 200 INDICATED, THERE IT FELT NORMAL. WE RETURNED TO FIELD AND ON APCH IT DID THE SAME, GETTING WORSE UNTIL FULLY CONFIGURED WHERE THERE WAS ALMOST A FULL FOOT OF TRAVEL FORE AND AFT ON THE YOKE WITH NO REAL PITCH CTL. IN GND EFFECT, THE ACFT WAS ABLE TO CHANGE PITCH (SLIGHTLY 1 TO 2 DEGS) ON ITS OWN. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE WE HAD FULL CTL OF THE ACFT OUTSIDE OF THE 'DEAD SPOT.' I MERELY FELT THE ACFT CONDITION UNACCEPTABLE. AN OVERWEIGHT LNDG WAS MADE (AT LESS THAN 100 FT PER MIN DSCNT RATE) BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO FLY AROUND BURNING OFF FUEL AND 'TEST FLYING' WITH PAX ONBOARD. THIS ACFT HAS HAD THE SAME PROB BEFORE AND WAS DEEMED OK BY THE MANUFACTURER. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT TO BE OK. I BELIEVE IT TO BE A POSSIBLE LINK IN A FUTURE CHAIN. I DO HAVE TO SAY THOUGH THAT OUR COMPANY HAS BEEN DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO FIND THE PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS PITCH CTL DEAD SPOT THAT OCCURS AT LOW SPEED IS A CHRONIC ITEM ON THIS AIRPLANE. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS TESTED BY THE MANUFACTURER'S TEST FLT CREW AND FOUND OK FOR SERVICE. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY'S TECHNICIANS CHECKED ELEVATOR RIGGING AND ADJUSTED THE CABLE TENSION. AFTER THE TEST FLT THE RPTR SAID TWO OTHER AIRPLANES HAVE THE LOW SPEED DEAD SPOT, BUT NOT AS SEVERE AS THE 12 INCHES FORE AND AFT. THE RPTR STATED THE TEST FLT BY THE MANUFACTURER'S TEST PLTS DID NOT ENTER ANY LOGBOOK ENTRY ON THE TEST FLT, BUT GAVE A VERBAL OK FOR SERVICE.

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.