A B757-200 reports of roughness felt in the rudder pedals on taxi-out; inadequate maintenance troubl...

Attributes
ACN	760227
Time
Date	200710
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : chd.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
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
ASRS Report	760227
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : briefing contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

During flight control check (on taxi out); I noticed roughness in the rudder pedal. First officer felt it also. Returned to gate. The local mechanic felt the roughness and said he suspected a bad bearing in one of the pulleys for the rudder cable. After spending some time looking for the problem; the problem was not located; but some pulleys were found to be in good condition. Maintenance control decided to ferry the aircraft back to ZZZ. I discussed the problem with several people -- local mechanics and 2 people in maintenance control. They had not found the cause; but maintenance control insisted the aircraft was probably safe to fly. I objected that without knowing the cause of the problem; I could not be sure the problem would not get worse. I discussed the problem with the first officer and decided to refuse to fly the plane. I felt the preliminary diagnosis was probably correct; but it was never confirmed. It was only a well educated guess. I believe the problem should be fixed; or at least positively idented; before dispatching a broken aircraft. In the interest of efficiency; maintenance control wanted to assume the aircraft was safe enough to fly. It is simply not good enough to assume that a problem with flight controls will not get worse. I was later told that system scheduling was looking for another crew to fly the aircraft. I do not know if someone flew it. I do not know what the problem actually turned out to be. Never make assumptions about mechanical issues or any other safety of flight issue.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 REPORTS OF ROUGHNESS FELT IN THE RUDDER PEDALS ON TAXI-OUT; INADEQUATE MAINT TROUBLESHOOTING AND COMPANY MAINT CONTROL WILLINGNESS TO DISPATCH AN ACFT WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS.

Narrative: DURING FLT CTL CHK (ON TAXI OUT); I NOTICED ROUGHNESS IN THE RUDDER PEDAL. FO FELT IT ALSO. RETURNED TO GATE. THE LCL MECH FELT THE ROUGHNESS AND SAID HE SUSPECTED A BAD BEARING IN ONE OF THE PULLEYS FOR THE RUDDER CABLE. AFTER SPENDING SOME TIME LOOKING FOR THE PROB; THE PROB WAS NOT LOCATED; BUT SOME PULLEYS WERE FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. MAINT CTL DECIDED TO FERRY THE ACFT BACK TO ZZZ. I DISCUSSED THE PROB WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE -- LCL MECHS AND 2 PEOPLE IN MAINT CTL. THEY HAD NOT FOUND THE CAUSE; BUT MAINT CTL INSISTED THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY SAFE TO FLY. I OBJECTED THAT WITHOUT KNOWING THE CAUSE OF THE PROB; I COULD NOT BE SURE THE PROB WOULD NOT GET WORSE. I DISCUSSED THE PROB WITH THE FO AND DECIDED TO REFUSE TO FLY THE PLANE. I FELT THE PRELIMINARY DIAGNOSIS WAS PROBABLY CORRECT; BUT IT WAS NEVER CONFIRMED. IT WAS ONLY A WELL EDUCATED GUESS. I BELIEVE THE PROB SHOULD BE FIXED; OR AT LEAST POSITIVELY IDENTED; BEFORE DISPATCHING A BROKEN ACFT. IN THE INTEREST OF EFFICIENCY; MAINT CTL WANTED TO ASSUME THE ACFT WAS SAFE ENOUGH TO FLY. IT IS SIMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO ASSUME THAT A PROB WITH FLT CTLS WILL NOT GET WORSE. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT SYS SCHEDULING WAS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER CREW TO FLY THE ACFT. I DO NOT KNOW IF SOMEONE FLEW IT. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROB ACTUALLY TURNED OUT TO BE. NEVER MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT MECHANICAL ISSUES OR ANY OTHER SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE.

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.

A B757-200 reports of roughness felt in the rudder pedals on taxi-out; inadequate maintenance troubleshooting and company maintenance control willingness to dispatch an aircraft without knowing what the problem was.