Narrative:

I was the captain of a 2-MAN crew plus mechanic and loadmaster of the aircraft X operating internationally. One of the open MEL's referred to the deflected aileron system; an MEL that had resulted from a malfunction that I had experienced on a flight approximately 2 weeks prior. In a discussion with my onboard mechanic it was understood that a part had been changed the day prior that should have fixed the issue but the aircraft system had not been properly reconfigured for operation. My mechanic had reconfigured the system; ground checked his work but wanted to flight check the fix prior to signoff. Since the WX was good and our load would allow us to return without dumping fuel or declaring an emergency; I agreed to the flight check. As luck would have it (bad luck); on departure climb; the outboard ailerons would not retract; requiring a return to the departure airport. Return and landing were uneventful with no disruption to local traffic and no emergency was declared. The 'deflected aileron' system was reconfigured and we departed with only a minor delay under the existing MEL. Supplemental information from acn 761772: during climb out our aircraft experienced a flight control abnormality. The deflected ailerons would not retract. We elected to return to our departure airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the outboard ailerons are designed to deflect downwards during takeoff and lndgs when the flap handle is moved aft and the flaps have traveled past 8 degrees down. However; on this aircraft the outboard ailerons would not 'fair' and continued to remain deflected down after the flaps had retracted. Aileron roll control was not affected; but fuel burn would definitely be impacted if flown in this confign. Reporter also stated this flight was basically a test flight to verify if the replaced part corrected the aileron droop. However; the problem remained. Maintenance had to manually deactivate the aileron deflection system to 'fair' the ailerons to the wing trailing edge. This deactivation does not affect the aileron roll control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11F ACFT OUTBOARD AILERONS WOULD NOT 'FAIR' AFTER TKOFS OR LNDGS.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF A 2-MAN CREW PLUS MECH AND LOADMASTER OF THE ACFT X OPERATING INTERNATIONALLY. ONE OF THE OPEN MEL'S REFERRED TO THE DEFLECTED AILERON SYS; AN MEL THAT HAD RESULTED FROM A MALFUNCTION THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED ON A FLT APPROX 2 WKS PRIOR. IN A DISCUSSION WITH MY ONBOARD MECH IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT A PART HAD BEEN CHANGED THE DAY PRIOR THAT SHOULD HAVE FIXED THE ISSUE BUT THE ACFT SYS HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY RECONFIGURED FOR OP. MY MECH HAD RECONFIGURED THE SYS; GND CHKED HIS WORK BUT WANTED TO FLT CHK THE FIX PRIOR TO SIGNOFF. SINCE THE WX WAS GOOD AND OUR LOAD WOULD ALLOW US TO RETURN WITHOUT DUMPING FUEL OR DECLARING AN EMER; I AGREED TO THE FLT CHK. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT (BAD LUCK); ON DEP CLB; THE OUTBOARD AILERONS WOULD NOT RETRACT; REQUIRING A RETURN TO THE DEP ARPT. RETURN AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL WITH NO DISRUPTION TO LCL TFC AND NO EMER WAS DECLARED. THE 'DEFLECTED AILERON' SYS WAS RECONFIGURED AND WE DEPARTED WITH ONLY A MINOR DELAY UNDER THE EXISTING MEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 761772: DURING CLBOUT OUR ACFT EXPERIENCED A FLT CTL ABNORMALITY. THE DEFLECTED AILERONS WOULD NOT RETRACT. WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO OUR DEP ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE OUTBOARD AILERONS ARE DESIGNED TO DEFLECT DOWNWARDS DURING TKOF AND LNDGS WHEN THE FLAP HANDLE IS MOVED AFT AND THE FLAPS HAVE TRAVELED PAST 8 DEGS DOWN. HOWEVER; ON THIS ACFT THE OUTBOARD AILERONS WOULD NOT 'FAIR' AND CONTINUED TO REMAIN DEFLECTED DOWN AFTER THE FLAPS HAD RETRACTED. AILERON ROLL CTL WAS NOT AFFECTED; BUT FUEL BURN WOULD DEFINITELY BE IMPACTED IF FLOWN IN THIS CONFIGN. RPTR ALSO STATED THIS FLT WAS BASICALLY A TEST FLT TO VERIFY IF THE REPLACED PART CORRECTED THE AILERON DROOP. HOWEVER; THE PROB REMAINED. MAINT HAD TO MANUALLY DEACTIVATE THE AILERON DEFLECTION SYS TO 'FAIR' THE AILERONS TO THE WING TRAILING EDGE. THIS DEACTIVATION DOES NOT AFFECT THE AILERON ROLL CTL.

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.