A310-200 flight crew discovers restr in rudder movement during routine control movement check on tax...

Attributes
ACN	739561
Time
Date	200705
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	A310
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	739561
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft had been in a heavy maintenance check and was being brought out of maintenance and flown back to base. Additionally; the aircraft had been test flown and was released for flight. During taxi out; while configuring the aircraft for takeoff and performing the flight control checks; the rudder check was performed by the captain. The captain found the movement of the rudder pedals to be binding in both left and right directions of travel; and the ECAM flight controls page also confirmed that the rudder was not making normal full travel to the stops. Aircraft was then returned to maintenance. Maintenance found on their inspection; duplex rod lower separation clamp rubber disbonded; allowing clamp to fall into lower rudder quadrant. The clamp was repaired/replaced and aircraft returned to service. It was further suspected that skydrol fluid had impregnated this clamp assembly and caused failure of the rubberized part of this clamp; thus the clamp failed; dropping from its original mounted position. A safety report has been filed with the company regarding this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A310-200 FLT CREW DISCOVERS RESTR IN RUDDER MOVEMENT DURING ROUTINE CTL MOVEMENT CHECK ON TAXI OUT.

Narrative: ACFT HAD BEEN IN A HEAVY MAINT CHECK AND WAS BEING BROUGHT OUT OF MAINT AND FLOWN BACK TO BASE. ADDITIONALLY; THE ACFT HAD BEEN TEST FLOWN AND WAS RELEASED FOR FLT. DURING TAXI OUT; WHILE CONFIGURING THE ACFT FOR TAKEOFF AND PERFORMING THE FLT CTL CHECKS; THE RUDDER CHECK WAS PERFORMED BY THE CAPT. THE CAPT FOUND THE MOVEMENT OF THE RUDDER PEDALS TO BE BINDING IN BOTH L AND R DIRECTIONS OF TRAVEL; AND THE ECAM FLT CTLS PAGE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE RUDDER WAS NOT MAKING NORMAL FULL TRAVEL TO THE STOPS. ACFT WAS THEN RETURNED TO MAINT. MAINT FOUND ON THEIR INSPECTION; DUPLEX ROD LOWER SEPARATION CLAMP RUBBER DISBONDED; ALLOWING CLAMP TO FALL INTO LOWER RUDDER QUADRANT. THE CLAMP WAS REPAIRED/REPLACED AND ACFT RETURNED TO SERVICE. IT WAS FURTHER SUSPECTED THAT SKYDROL FLUID HAD IMPREGNATED THIS CLAMP ASSEMBLY AND CAUSED FAILURE OF THE RUBBERIZED PART OF THIS CLAMP; THUS THE CLAMP FAILED; DROPPING FROM ITS ORIGINAL MOUNTED POSITION. A SAFETY REPORT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE COMPANY REGARDING THIS INCIDENT.

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.

A310-200 flight crew discovers restr in rudder movement during routine control movement check on taxi out.