Narrative:

Normal takeoff and climb out by first officer. Departure consisted of 2 right hand turns. The first to a heading of 200 then 010 degrees. The next turn out of 10000 ft was a left turn to a heading of I believe 350 degrees. It was during this turn that I noticed a slight buffeting to the airframe that at first felt like light chop; but was too mechanical in nature; i.e. Too constant of frequency and duration only lasted as long as left roll was applied by first officer. After the second occurrence; I pulled up the flight control page on the ECAM and asked the first officer if he had felt what I noticed and he said acknowledged the light chop; but I told him I didn't think it was light chop as the ride so far was very smooth. I asked him to start a left roll input again and the airframe buffet began as soon as he made a left roll input into the stick. As soon as he neutralized the stick the buffet stopped. I coordinated with center for 20-30 degree turns either side of assigned heading to further analyze the problem. Every left turn initiated whether manual flying by either pilot or on autopilot using heading selector resulted in an airframe buffet similar to light chop and wings level/right turns was smooth. Elected to return for an overweight landing. During troubleshooting; maintenance discovered an erratic flutter with the right aileron that you could observe on the flight control page and verified by a mechanic outside observing the aileron. Maintenance replaced the right aileron actuator. I had first officer continue flying while I contacted flight attendants; company; dispatch; ATC; reviewed QRH overweight landing procedures. Second time I have had to return to airport of departure in the last couple of months for a flight control issue. Are flight control events starting to occur on a more regular basis on the airbus fleet? Have maintenance procedures changed that may preclude identifying problems with flight control actuators before they become a problem? Or am I just unlucky?callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that a mechanic on a lift was stationed at the right aileron and another mechanic monitored the ECAM flight control movements in the flight station with the pilots. All four people saw the flutter occur with left turn commands. The mechanic at the aileron reported the control surface flutter concurrent with the ECAM. The aileron actuator was changed and apparently the flutter was corrected. A final inspection by the four individuals revealed no ECAM or aileron flutters. This reporter did not get a chance to fly this aircraft because of other unrelated mechanical problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PLT RPTS A RETURN TO LAND FOLLOWING AN AILERON FLUTTER EXPERIENCED IN FLIGHT. AILERON ACTUATOR REPLACED.

Narrative: NORMAL TAKEOFF AND CLIMB OUT BY FO. DEP CONSISTED OF 2 R HAND TURNS. THE FIRST TO A HEADING OF 200 THEN 010 DEGS. THE NEXT TURN OUT OF 10000 FT WAS A L TURN TO A HEADING OF I BELIEVE 350 DEGS. IT WAS DURING THIS TURN THAT I NOTICED A SLIGHT BUFFETING TO THE AIRFRAME THAT AT FIRST FELT LIKE LIGHT CHOP; BUT WAS TOO MECHANICAL IN NATURE; I.E. TOO CONSTANT OF FREQUENCY AND DURATION ONLY LASTED AS LONG AS L ROLL WAS APPLIED BY FO. AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE; I PULLED UP THE FLT CTL PAGE ON THE ECAM AND ASKED THE FO IF HE HAD FELT WHAT I NOTICED AND HE SAID ACKNOWLEDGED THE LIGHT CHOP; BUT I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS LIGHT CHOP AS THE RIDE SO FAR WAS VERY SMOOTH. I ASKED HIM TO START A L ROLL INPUT AGAIN AND THE AIRFRAME BUFFET BEGAN AS SOON AS HE MADE A L ROLL INPUT INTO THE STICK. AS SOON AS HE NEUTRALIZED THE STICK THE BUFFET STOPPED. I COORDINATED WITH CENTER FOR 20-30 DEG TURNS EITHER SIDE OF ASSIGNED HEADING TO FURTHER ANALYZE THE PROBLEM. EVERY L TURN INITIATED WHETHER MANUAL FLYING BY EITHER PILOT OR ON AUTOPILOT USING HDG SELECTOR RESULTED IN AN AIRFRAME BUFFET SIMILAR TO LIGHT CHOP AND WINGS LEVEL/RIGHT TURNS WAS SMOOTH. ELECTED TO RETURN FOR AN OVERWEIGHT LNDG. DURING TROUBLESHOOTING; MAINT DISCOVERED AN ERRATIC FLUTTER WITH THE R AILERON THAT YOU COULD OBSERVE ON THE FLT CTL PAGE AND VERIFIED BY A MECHANIC OUTSIDE OBSERVING THE AILERON. MAINT REPLACED THE R AILERON ACTUATOR. I HAD FO CONTINUE FLYING WHILE I CONTACTED FLT ATTENDANTS; COMPANY; DISPATCH; ATC; REVIEWED QRH OVERWEIGHT LNDG PROCS. SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD TO RETURN TO AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR A FLT CTL ISSUE. ARE FLT CTL EVENTS STARTING TO OCCUR ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS ON THE AIRBUS FLEET? HAVE MAINT PROCS CHANGED THAT MAY PRECLUDE IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS WITH FLT CTL ACTUATORS BEFORE THEY BECOME A PROBLEM? OR AM I JUST UNLUCKY?CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT A MECHANIC ON A LIFT WAS STATIONED AT THE R AILERON AND ANOTHER MECHANIC MONITORED THE ECAM FLT CONTROL MOVEMENTS IN THE FLT STATION WITH THE PILOTS. ALL FOUR PEOPLE SAW THE FLUTTER OCCUR WITH L TURN COMMANDS. THE MECHANIC AT THE AILERON REPORTED THE CONTROL SURFACE FLUTTER CONCURRENT WITH THE ECAM. THE AILERON ACTUATOR WAS CHANGED AND APPARENTLY THE FLUTTER WAS CORRECTED. A FINAL INSPECTION BY THE FOUR INDIVIDUALS REVEALED NO ECAM OR AILERON FLUTTERS. THIS REPORTER DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO FLY THIS ACFT BECAUSE OF OTHER UNRELATED MECHANICAL PROBLEMS.

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.