Narrative:

After completing the preflight walkaround; I entered the flight deck; sat down; picked up our clearance and programmed the FMS. Then I went over my acceptance flow. Upon adjusting the rudder pedals; I noticed something behind the right rudder pedal. To my amazement; it was a 1.5 liter water bottle. With the captain holding the yoke full forward; I was able to lay over my seat; reach back there and retrieve the bottle. It was at this time I learned the bottle was full and unopened. Upon retrieving the bottle; I also noticed a single serving size carton of milk back there as well. Upon retrieving that; I saw it was also full and unopened. Since I was not present when these items became located behind the rudder pedal; I can only guess that this was something that occurred with the previous crew. There is not a lot of 'real estate' to place items around the flight deck of the rj. It's my guess that the water bottle and milk carton were next to the first officer on landing and once the brakes were applied during rollout; they fell forward and the first officer then forgot to retrieve the items after taxiing to the gate. I don't have any reason to think there was any malicious intent involved. I think it would be wise for the company to consider adding a line in the pom under the acceptance check to look down into the foot well; behind the rudder pedals (the rudder pedals have holes in them; so you can see 'through' them easily) when adjusting them; for objects that could cause problems with rudder travel. It is also important that the company add this quick inspection to the ground-simulator training. Even if the flight takes place at night; there is a floor light to assist in this inspection. I did notice this object prior to this flight. But I certainly couldn't say that I would have noticed it on any given flight. It would also be very wise for a pilot to give a quick look down to the pedals to see if anything has fallen down there after shutting down the aircraft as a courtesy to yourself if you're keeping the aircraft; or to the crew taking the aircraft after you. An object stuck behind one rudder pedal could easily lead to a loss of rudder travel for either left or right seat PF. And in the event of an engine failure on takeoff; adequate rudder travel not being available could result in loss of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FULL WATER BOTTLE AND MILK CARTON WERE DISCOVERED BEHIND A CRJ900'S FO RUDDER PEDALS ON PREFLT.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING THE PREFLT WALKAROUND; I ENTERED THE FLT DECK; SAT DOWN; PICKED UP OUR CLRNC AND PROGRAMMED THE FMS. THEN I WENT OVER MY ACCEPTANCE FLOW. UPON ADJUSTING THE RUDDER PEDALS; I NOTICED SOMETHING BEHIND THE R RUDDER PEDAL. TO MY AMAZEMENT; IT WAS A 1.5 LITER WATER BOTTLE. WITH THE CAPT HOLDING THE YOKE FULL FORWARD; I WAS ABLE TO LAY OVER MY SEAT; REACH BACK THERE AND RETRIEVE THE BOTTLE. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I LEARNED THE BOTTLE WAS FULL AND UNOPENED. UPON RETRIEVING THE BOTTLE; I ALSO NOTICED A SINGLE SERVING SIZE CARTON OF MILK BACK THERE AS WELL. UPON RETRIEVING THAT; I SAW IT WAS ALSO FULL AND UNOPENED. SINCE I WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN THESE ITEMS BECAME LOCATED BEHIND THE RUDDER PEDAL; I CAN ONLY GUESS THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED WITH THE PREVIOUS CREW. THERE IS NOT A LOT OF 'REAL ESTATE' TO PLACE ITEMS AROUND THE FLT DECK OF THE RJ. IT'S MY GUESS THAT THE WATER BOTTLE AND MILK CARTON WERE NEXT TO THE FO ON LNDG AND ONCE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED DURING ROLLOUT; THEY FELL FORWARD AND THE FO THEN FORGOT TO RETRIEVE THE ITEMS AFTER TAXIING TO THE GATE. I DON'T HAVE ANY REASON TO THINK THERE WAS ANY MALICIOUS INTENT INVOLVED. I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE FOR THE COMPANY TO CONSIDER ADDING A LINE IN THE POM UNDER THE ACCEPTANCE CHK TO LOOK DOWN INTO THE FOOT WELL; BEHIND THE RUDDER PEDALS (THE RUDDER PEDALS HAVE HOLES IN THEM; SO YOU CAN SEE 'THROUGH' THEM EASILY) WHEN ADJUSTING THEM; FOR OBJECTS THAT COULD CAUSE PROBS WITH RUDDER TRAVEL. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THE COMPANY ADD THIS QUICK INSPECTION TO THE GND-SIMULATOR TRAINING. EVEN IF THE FLT TAKES PLACE AT NIGHT; THERE IS A FLOOR LIGHT TO ASSIST IN THIS INSPECTION. I DID NOTICE THIS OBJECT PRIOR TO THIS FLT. BUT I CERTAINLY COULDN'T SAY THAT I WOULD HAVE NOTICED IT ON ANY GIVEN FLT. IT WOULD ALSO BE VERY WISE FOR A PLT TO GIVE A QUICK LOOK DOWN TO THE PEDALS TO SEE IF ANYTHING HAS FALLEN DOWN THERE AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ACFT AS A COURTESY TO YOURSELF IF YOU'RE KEEPING THE ACFT; OR TO THE CREW TAKING THE ACFT AFTER YOU. AN OBJECT STUCK BEHIND ONE RUDDER PEDAL COULD EASILY LEAD TO A LOSS OF RUDDER TRAVEL FOR EITHER L OR R SEAT PF. AND IN THE EVENT OF AN ENG FAILURE ON TKOF; ADEQUATE RUDDER TRAVEL NOT BEING AVAILABLE COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF THE ACFT.

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.