A dassault 50 on climb from FL240 to FL310 aileron controls felt unusual and seemed to get worse. Still able to control aircraft; crew diverted to departure station.

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Attributes
ACN	656253
Time
Date	200504
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Falcon 50
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	656253
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On climb out from ZZZ at FL240; the ailerons felt unusual; at FL310 the controls seemed to get worse. We discussed the situation and decided to return to ZZZ to seek out maintenance. There was never a time that we felt out of control or that the aircraft was in any danger. We felt to return to the airport would be the most conservative response and safest option for everyone concerned. Maintenance was performed. It was discovered that the autoplt servo was not functioning properly and therefore replaced. A test flight was performed and it was determined that everything functioned normally. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said the problem with the ailerons was caused by the aileron feel unit located in the left wing root mounted above the autoplt aileron servo. The artificial feel unit was leaking hydraulic fluid onto and into the autoplt aileron servo. There was no drip shield above the autoplt aileron servo to prevent damage from hydraulic fluid leakage. The fluid soaked the servo and all the cables and pulleys attached to and adjacent to the servo. The servo was replaced and the airplane was flight tested with no problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DASSAULT 50 ON CLB FROM FL240 TO FL310 AILERON CTLS FELT UNUSUAL AND SEEMED TO GET WORSE. STILL ABLE TO CTL ACFT; CREW DIVERTED TO DEP STATION.

Narrative: ON CLB OUT FROM ZZZ AT FL240; THE AILERONS FELT UNUSUAL; AT FL310 THE CTLS SEEMED TO GET WORSE. WE DISCUSSED THE SIT AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ TO SEEK OUT MAINT. THERE WAS NEVER A TIME THAT WE FELT OUT OF CTL OR THAT THE ACFT WAS IN ANY DANGER. WE FELT TO RETURN TO THE ARPT WOULD BE THE MOST CONSERVATIVE RESPONSE AND SAFEST OPTION FOR EVERYONE CONCERNED. MAINT WAS PERFORMED. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AUTOPLT SERVO WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND THEREFORE REPLACED. A TEST FLT WAS PERFORMED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT EVERYTHING FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THE PROB WITH THE AILERONS WAS CAUSED BY THE AILERON FEEL UNIT LOCATED IN THE L WING ROOT MOUNTED ABOVE THE AUTOPLT AILERON SERVO. THE ARTIFICIAL FEEL UNIT WAS LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID ONTO AND INTO THE AUTOPLT AILERON SERVO. THERE WAS NO DRIP SHIELD ABOVE THE AUTOPLT AILERON SERVO TO PREVENT DAMAGE FROM HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE. THE FLUID SOAKED THE SERVO AND ALL THE CABLES AND PULLEYS ATTACHED TO AND ADJACENT TO THE SERVO. THE SERVO WAS REPLACED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS FLT TESTED WITH NO PROBS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.