Narrative:

Mr X and myself went from the maintenance hangar to the gate to investigate/troubleshoot a logbook PIREP on an aircraft item that stated 'during approach; elevator control stuck momentarily approximately 5 pound control force broke elevator free. Elevator control operated normally for approach and landing.' when arriving at the aircraft; the flight crew talked to us and gave the same information as was in logbook. They stated that the first officer was in control during the event; and the flight crew gave no information about a possible autoflt problem. We troubleshot in accordance with maintenance manual and found no defects visually or by operational testing. The aircraft was then released for service after conferring with lead technician and myself. After researching gpm; I interpreted that a flight test action was required and was not complied with before the aircraft was released. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the logbook write-up had the breakout force at 5 pounds; and that the cause of the sticking of the elevator was the lack of lubrication on the output of the elevator servo. The reporter indicated this sticking was the subject of a manufacturer's service bulletin that was not made available to maintenance personnel. The elevator operation was ground checked ok and released for service. Reportedly; the gpm requires that any airplane with a flight control report when no fault is found must be test flown. Callback conversation with reporter acn 686509 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane elevator was operated and ground checked ok and released for service; but later discovered the gpm required a test flight. The reporter stated there was a service bulletin issued by the manufacturer that described this exact problem; but was never made available to the technicians.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ700 ON APCH HAD ELEVATOR CTL STICK MOMENTARILY AND TOOK 5 LBS OF FORCE TO BREAK FREE. MAINT GND CHKED OK; BUT PER GPM; AIRPLANE REQUIRED FLT CTL TEST FLT.

Narrative: MR X AND MYSELF WENT FROM THE MAINT HANGAR TO THE GATE TO INVESTIGATE/TROUBLESHOOT A LOGBOOK PIREP ON AN ACFT ITEM THAT STATED 'DURING APCH; ELEVATOR CTL STUCK MOMENTARILY APPROX 5 LB CTL FORCE BROKE ELEVATOR FREE. ELEVATOR CTL OPERATED NORMALLY FOR APCH AND LNDG.' WHEN ARRIVING AT THE ACFT; THE FLT CREW TALKED TO US AND GAVE THE SAME INFO AS WAS IN LOGBOOK. THEY STATED THAT THE FO WAS IN CTL DURING THE EVENT; AND THE FLT CREW GAVE NO INFO ABOUT A POSSIBLE AUTOFLT PROB. WE TROUBLESHOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH MAINT MANUAL AND FOUND NO DEFECTS VISUALLY OR BY OPERATIONAL TESTING. THE ACFT WAS THEN RELEASED FOR SVC AFTER CONFERRING WITH LEAD TECHNICIAN AND MYSELF. AFTER RESEARCHING GPM; I INTERPRETED THAT A FLT TEST ACTION WAS REQUIRED AND WAS NOT COMPLIED WITH BEFORE THE ACFT WAS RELEASED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LOGBOOK WRITE-UP HAD THE BREAKOUT FORCE AT 5 LBS; AND THAT THE CAUSE OF THE STICKING OF THE ELEVATOR WAS THE LACK OF LUBRICATION ON THE OUTPUT OF THE ELEVATOR SERVO. THE RPTR INDICATED THIS STICKING WAS THE SUBJECT OF A MANUFACTURER'S SVC BULLETIN THAT WAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE TO MAINT PERSONNEL. THE ELEVATOR OP WAS GND CHKED OK AND RELEASED FOR SVC. REPORTEDLY; THE GPM REQUIRES THAT ANY AIRPLANE WITH A FLT CTL RPT WHEN NO FAULT IS FOUND MUST BE TEST FLOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 686509 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE ELEVATOR WAS OPERATED AND GND CHKED OK AND RELEASED FOR SVC; BUT LATER DISCOVERED THE GPM REQUIRED A TEST FLT. THE RPTR STATED THERE WAS A SVC BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT DESCRIBED THIS EXACT PROB; BUT WAS NEVER MADE AVAILABLE TO THE TECHNICIANS.

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.