Narrative:

During the descent into ZZZ1 at an airspeed of 250 KTS; the first officer (as PF); extended the speed brakes to increase the rate of descent. Upon doing so; the autoplt disconnected and the aircraft rolled to the left. The first officer quickly corrected by applying control wheel in the opposite (right) direction. The amount of control wheel needed to maintain a wings-level attitude was about 20-30 degrees to the right. The first officer stated what was going on; and began retracting the speed brakes. We found that the roll to the left was almost gone when the speed brakes were retracted to 1-2 degrees or less. With the speed brakes in a position of 1-2 degrees or less; there was no unusual flight control issues. The flight proceeded to ZZZ1 with no further problems. The aircraft exhibited no adverse flight control issues after the speed brakes were retracted. The speed brakes were used during the descent into ZZZ2 on the previous leg; and no roll occurred. The incident was entered into the maintenance log after landing in ZZZ1. The rolling of the aircraft was caused by the use of the speed brakes. Additional information that may or may not have been a factor in this incident: the aircraft spent the previous day on the ramp in ZZZ1 during a snow storm and was deiced prior to the flight prior to the incident flight; and a leak in the potable water system was discovered prior to the flight prior to the incident flight. During the investigation of the water leak; ice was found in the cargo bin which was melted and cleaned up prior to departure. The potable water system was deactivated and deferred prior to departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 ACFT ROLLED LEFT AND THE AUTOPILOT DISCONNECTED WHEN THE SPD BRAKES WERE EXTENDED DURING DESCENT. FLT CTL NORMAL WITH SPD BRAKES RETRACTED.

Narrative: DURING THE DSCNT INTO ZZZ1 AT AN AIRSPD OF 250 KTS; THE FO (AS PF); EXTENDED THE SPD BRAKES TO INCREASE THE RATE OF DSCNT. UPON DOING SO; THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED AND THE ACFT ROLLED TO THE L. THE FO QUICKLY CORRECTED BY APPLYING CTL WHEEL IN THE OPPOSITE (R) DIRECTION. THE AMOUNT OF CTL WHEEL NEEDED TO MAINTAIN A WINGS-LEVEL ATTITUDE WAS ABOUT 20-30 DEGS TO THE R. THE FO STATED WHAT WAS GOING ON; AND BEGAN RETRACTING THE SPD BRAKES. WE FOUND THAT THE ROLL TO THE L WAS ALMOST GONE WHEN THE SPD BRAKES WERE RETRACTED TO 1-2 DEGS OR LESS. WITH THE SPD BRAKES IN A POS OF 1-2 DEGS OR LESS; THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL FLT CTL ISSUES. THE FLT PROCEEDED TO ZZZ1 WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. THE ACFT EXHIBITED NO ADVERSE FLT CTL ISSUES AFTER THE SPD BRAKES WERE RETRACTED. THE SPD BRAKES WERE USED DURING THE DSCNT INTO ZZZ2 ON THE PREVIOUS LEG; AND NO ROLL OCCURRED. THE INCIDENT WAS ENTERED INTO THE MAINT LOG AFTER LNDG IN ZZZ1. THE ROLLING OF THE ACFT WAS CAUSED BY THE USE OF THE SPD BRAKES. ADDITIONAL INFO THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT: THE ACFT SPENT THE PREVIOUS DAY ON THE RAMP IN ZZZ1 DURING A SNOW STORM AND WAS DEICED PRIOR TO THE FLT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FLT; AND A LEAK IN THE POTABLE WATER SYS WAS DISCOVERED PRIOR TO THE FLT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FLT. DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF THE WATER LEAK; ICE WAS FOUND IN THE CARGO BIN WHICH WAS MELTED AND CLEANED UP PRIOR TO DEP. THE POTABLE WATER SYS WAS DEACTIVATED AND DEFERRED PRIOR TO DEP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.