Narrative:

On taxi out from gate in ZZZ, performed taxi checks. Pushing left rudder movement was normal. Pushing right rudder, it jammed, would not move. On applying brakes to check out problem, I had left brake but no right brake. Right pedal was totally jammed. I taxied back to gate and called maintenance. They found a screw had backed out from side panel and jammed rudder pedal. If this would have happened on takeoff, or even worse, on landing with strong xwinds, loss of control could very well happen. This needs to be addressed before we have an accident caused by a 25 cent screw. On talking to maintenance in ZZZ, this is not the first time this has happened. In fact, in talking to other pilots, they have had this happen and they just pushed the screw back in without calling maintenance. In my opinion, this is a very serious safety problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the captain's right rudder pedal jamming is a pedestal forward liner that projects forward under the instrument panel along the side of the right rudder pedal. The reporter said the liner is held in place by a pan head spring loaded fastener similar to a zeus fastener that, when loose, projects into the rudder pedal arc, preventing the pedal movement. The reporter stated if the captain is six feet tall or greater, no problem will exist as the pedals are adjusted well forward and downward missing the fastener. The reporter said with a captain five ft nine inches tall and less, it's a problem as the rudder pedals are adjusted aft and upward putting in position to rub the fastener or jam if the fastener pops out. The reporter stated this is a common problem on the newer CRJ200 aircraft that did not exist on the older CRJ200. The reporter said in talking to other pilots that encountered this fastener problem they just pushed the fastener back in with no log report entered. The reporter stated the rudder has no disconnect between the captain's rudder pedals and the first officer's pedals. The reporter said this problem has been reported to maintenance management with no action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEW MODEL CRJ200 CAPT RPTS ON JAMMED RT RUDDER MOVEMENT WITH NO RT BRAKING ABILITY DUE TO LOOSE PANEL FASTENER.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT FROM GATE IN ZZZ, PERFORMED TAXI CHECKS. PUSHING L RUDDER MOVEMENT WAS NORMAL. PUSHING R RUDDER, IT JAMMED, WOULD NOT MOVE. ON APPLYING BRAKES TO CHECK OUT PROB, I HAD L BRAKE BUT NO R BRAKE. R PEDAL WAS TOTALLY JAMMED. I TAXIED BACK TO GATE AND CALLED MAINT. THEY FOUND A SCREW HAD BACKED OUT FROM SIDE PANEL AND JAMMED RUDDER PEDAL. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON TKOF, OR EVEN WORSE, ON LNDG WITH STRONG XWINDS, LOSS OF CTL COULD VERY WELL HAPPEN. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE WE HAVE AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY A 25 CENT SCREW. ON TALKING TO MAINT IN ZZZ, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. IN FACT, IN TALKING TO OTHER PLTS, THEY HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AND THEY JUST PUSHED THE SCREW BACK IN WITHOUT CALLING MAINT. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE CAPT'S R RUDDER PEDAL JAMMING IS A PEDESTAL FORWARD LINER THAT PROJECTS FORWARD UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ALONG THE SIDE OF THE R RUDDER PEDAL. THE RPTR SAID THE LINER IS HELD IN PLACE BY A PAN HEAD SPRING LOADED FASTENER SIMILAR TO A ZEUS FASTENER THAT, WHEN LOOSE, PROJECTS INTO THE RUDDER PEDAL ARC, PREVENTING THE PEDAL MOVEMENT. THE RPTR STATED IF THE CAPT IS SIX FEET TALL OR GREATER, NO PROB WILL EXIST AS THE PEDALS ARE ADJUSTED WELL FORWARD AND DOWNWARD MISSING THE FASTENER. THE RPTR SAID WITH A CAPT FIVE FT NINE INCHES TALL AND LESS, IT'S A PROB AS THE RUDDER PEDALS ARE ADJUSTED AFT AND UPWARD PUTTING IN POSITION TO RUB THE FASTENER OR JAM IF THE FASTENER POPS OUT. THE RPTR STATED THIS IS A COMMON PROB ON THE NEWER CRJ200 ACFT THAT DID NOT EXIST ON THE OLDER CRJ200. THE RPTR SAID IN TALKING TO OTHER PLTS THAT ENCOUNTERED THIS FASTENER PROB THEY JUST PUSHED THE FASTENER BACK IN WITH NO LOG REPORT ENTERED. THE RPTR STATED THE RUDDER HAS NO DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE CAPT'S RUDDER PEDALS AND THE FO'S PEDALS. THE RPTR SAID THIS PROB HAS BEEN RPTED TO MAINT MGMNT WITH NO ACTION.

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.