MD80 suffers apparent roll control anomaly in r-hand turns after autoplt disconnect. No other indica...

Attributes
ACN	695564
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	695564
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	695709
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : overrode automation flight crew : declared emergency
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Taxi out RNAV departure; autoplt on approximately 12000 ft. On climb out; autoplt disconnected. Control column felt heavier than normal. Regarding ailerons; noted difficulty commanding right bank. Trimmed aircraft at cruise -- autoplt worked perfectly remainder of flight. No excess trim noted; aileron trim moved free. Aileron and rudder trim approximately on main index centered. Discussed possibilities; QRH; maintenance; dispatch. Kept all informed of intentions. Briefed flight attendants and passenger of situation. Could not determine magnitude of unctlability until lower and better indicated airspeed. During descent; took autoplt off for better determination of control deficiency. Still felt 'heavy' and harder to turn in one direction. Informed ATC and declared emergency. Requested direct ZZZ for 25 mi final to configure early to determine fully aircraft capability. Requested crash fire rescue equipment. Considered xwinds and runway length. Aircraft regained full ctlability at about 150 ft AGL. Landed and proceeded to gate without incident. Subsequently; maintenance 'sticked' the fuel tanks and found we had approximately 3100 pounds per tank rather than the 5000 pounds per tank indicating on fuel panel. Tested both channel a and B for quantity reading and totalizer check. Fuel quantity system in cockpit operated normal during these checks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 SUFFERS APPARENT ROLL CTL ANOMALY IN R-HAND TURNS AFTER AUTOPLT DISCONNECT. NO OTHER INDICATIONS AND RESPONSE RETURNED TO NORMAL DURING APCH.

Narrative: TAXI OUT RNAV DEP; AUTOPLT ON APPROX 12000 FT. ON CLBOUT; AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED. CTL COLUMN FELT HEAVIER THAN NORMAL. REGARDING AILERONS; NOTED DIFFICULTY COMMANDING R BANK. TRIMMED ACFT AT CRUISE -- AUTOPLT WORKED PERFECTLY REMAINDER OF FLT. NO EXCESS TRIM NOTED; AILERON TRIM MOVED FREE. AILERON AND RUDDER TRIM APPROX ON MAIN INDEX CTRED. DISCUSSED POSSIBILITIES; QRH; MAINT; DISPATCH. KEPT ALL INFORMED OF INTENTIONS. BRIEFED FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX OF SIT. COULD NOT DETERMINE MAGNITUDE OF UNCTLABILITY UNTIL LOWER AND BETTER INDICATED AIRSPD. DURING DSCNT; TOOK AUTOPLT OFF FOR BETTER DETERMINATION OF CTL DEFICIENCY. STILL FELT 'HVY' AND HARDER TO TURN IN ONE DIRECTION. INFORMED ATC AND DECLARED EMER. REQUESTED DIRECT ZZZ FOR 25 MI FINAL TO CONFIGURE EARLY TO DETERMINE FULLY ACFT CAPABILITY. REQUESTED CFR. CONSIDERED XWINDS AND RWY LENGTH. ACFT REGAINED FULL CTLABILITY AT ABOUT 150 FT AGL. LANDED AND PROCEEDED TO GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUBSEQUENTLY; MAINT 'STICKED' THE FUEL TANKS AND FOUND WE HAD APPROX 3100 LBS PER TANK RATHER THAN THE 5000 LBS PER TANK INDICATING ON FUEL PANEL. TESTED BOTH CHANNEL A AND B FOR QUANTITY READING AND TOTALIZER CHK. FUEL QUANTITY SYS IN COCKPIT OPERATED NORMAL DURING THESE CHKS.

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.

MD80 suffers apparent roll control anomaly in r-hand turns after autoplt disconnect. No other indications and response returned to normal during approach.