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A B757-200 developed a vibration after takeoff. An emergency was declared with a return to land. A horizontal stabilizer access panel had been left open.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 720911 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200612 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon tower : zzz.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| 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 | 720911 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| ASRS Report | 720910 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
On takeoff noticed an unusual force required to rotate aircraft. When airborne; felt a substantial airframe vibration and aircraft was out of trim. As aircraft flaps were retracted; vibration continued and got worse as airspeed increased. Reduced speed from 250 KTS; to 230 KTS. Felt a large bump and vibration ended. No indications in the cockpit. Declared an emergency due to a possible flight control malfunction; returned to ZZZ for an overweight landing. Upon inspection by maintenance; an access panel under the left horizontal stabilizer was found open and hanging by the hinges. The panel had been locked and pinned open. Supplemental information from acn 720910: during the preflight prior to the incident; it was raining extremely hard. That combined with the fact that my glasses were wet; and when looking at the tail of the aircraft; I was standing in the middle of a busy access road; I somehow missed the open panel.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757-200 DEVELOPED A VIBRATION AFTER TKOF. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH A RETURN TO LAND. A HORIZ STAB ACCESS PANEL HAD BEEN LEFT OPEN.
Narrative: ON TKOF NOTICED AN UNUSUAL FORCE REQUIRED TO ROTATE ACFT. WHEN AIRBORNE; FELT A SUBSTANTIAL AIRFRAME VIBRATION AND ACFT WAS OUT OF TRIM. AS ACFT FLAPS WERE RETRACTED; VIBRATION CONTINUED AND GOT WORSE AS AIRSPD INCREASED. REDUCED SPD FROM 250 KTS; TO 230 KTS. FELT A LARGE BUMP AND VIBRATION ENDED. NO INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT. DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO A POSSIBLE FLT CTL MALFUNCTION; RETURNED TO ZZZ FOR AN OVERWT LNDG. UPON INSPECTION BY MAINT; AN ACCESS PANEL UNDER THE L HORIZ STABILIZER WAS FOUND OPEN AND HANGING BY THE HINGES. THE PANEL HAD BEEN LOCKED AND PINNED OPEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 720910: DURING THE PREFLT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT; IT WAS RAINING EXTREMELY HARD. THAT COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT MY GLASSES WERE WET; AND WHEN LOOKING AT THE TAIL OF THE ACFT; I WAS STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ACCESS ROAD; I SOMEHOW MISSED THE OPEN PANEL.
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.