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A300 captain reports finding three full water bottles behind rudder pedals in cruise. Bottles may have caused rudder pedal restriction during control check on taxi out.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 748604 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200708 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : atl.airport |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 34000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 9600 flight time type : 2300 |
| ASRS Report | 748604 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
During taxi out; while conducting normal checklist flows; I observed the rudder pedal check to the left was a bit binding but doing it twice I didn't feel it was unsafe to continue. During cruise I was in the process of stretching my legs a bit under the pedals and felt what appeared to be a full water bottle under the left pedal. After pulling out my flashlight and shining under the pedal area I found 3 full bottles. Obviously that's what was causing the binding during the flight control check during taxi out. This isn't the first time in recent flight segments that I have found full or partial bottles of water lodged under the pedal areas. Not sure how this may affect operations in the event a full deflection is needed and especially if these bottles were to move ever so slightly to prevent a full deflection. I think flight crews and maintenance needs to be aware of this potential problem and periodic checks should be made of these critical areas during our normal preflts and daily or weekend checks by the maintenance personnel.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A300 CAPTAIN REPORTS FINDING THREE FULL WATER BOTTLES BEHIND RUDDER PEDALS IN CRUISE. BOTTLES MAY HAVE CAUSED RUDDER PEDAL RESTRICTION DURING CONTROL CHECK ON TAXI OUT.
Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT; WHILE CONDUCTING NORMAL CHKLIST FLOWS; I OBSERVED THE RUDDER PEDAL CHK TO THE L WAS A BIT BINDING BUT DOING IT TWICE I DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS UNSAFE TO CONTINUE. DURING CRUISE I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF STRETCHING MY LEGS A BIT UNDER THE PEDALS AND FELT WHAT APPEARED TO BE A FULL WATER BOTTLE UNDER THE L PEDAL. AFTER PULLING OUT MY FLASHLIGHT AND SHINING UNDER THE PEDAL AREA I FOUND 3 FULL BOTTLES. OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT WAS CAUSING THE BINDING DURING THE FLT CTL CHK DURING TAXI OUT. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME IN RECENT FLT SEGMENTS THAT I HAVE FOUND FULL OR PARTIAL BOTTLES OF WATER LODGED UNDER THE PEDAL AREAS. NOT SURE HOW THIS MAY AFFECT OPS IN THE EVENT A FULL DEFLECTION IS NEEDED AND ESPECIALLY IF THESE BOTTLES WERE TO MOVE EVER SO SLIGHTLY TO PREVENT A FULL DEFLECTION. I THINK FLT CREWS AND MAINT NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL PROB AND PERIODIC CHKS SHOULD BE MADE OF THESE CRITICAL AREAS DURING OUR NORMAL PREFLTS AND DAILY OR WEEKEND CHKS BY THE MAINT PERSONNEL.
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.