 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A320 captain reports lack of rudder authority during takeoff with winds down the runway and rejected the takeoff.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 902737 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201008 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Rudder Control System |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Captain Pilot Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 80 Flight Crew Total 7900 Flight Crew Type 500 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical |
Narrative:
We pushed back performed all our checks to include the flight control check. We were given takeoff clearance I added power and set the thrust levers to flex EPR. As I began to blend in rudder steering with nose wheel tiller steering I felt that the rudder was not performing with enough authority. I relaxed the tiller to natural thinking I was cross controlling the two. I was still not able to track centerline with rudder inputs alone and came on with tiller. I tried releasing the tiller when I was on center line and took over with rudder pedals alone and began tracking to the left of centerline. At this point I did an aborted takeoff; the winds were straight down the runway. As I taxied clear I tested the rudders and the right rudder felt soft and did not provide the correct amount of authority. I asked the first officer to try his and he later commented that the right rudder on his side felt soft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 Captain reports lack of rudder authority during takeoff with winds down the runway and rejected the takeoff.
Narrative: We pushed back performed all our checks to include the flight control check. We were given takeoff clearance I added power and set the thrust levers to Flex EPR. As I began to blend in rudder steering with nose wheel tiller steering I felt that the rudder was not performing with enough authority. I relaxed the tiller to natural thinking I was cross controlling the two. I was still not able to track centerline with rudder inputs alone and came on with tiller. I tried releasing the tiller when I was on center line and took over with rudder pedals alone and began tracking to the left of centerline. At this point I did an aborted takeoff; the winds were straight down the runway. As I taxied clear I tested the rudders and the right rudder felt soft and did not provide the correct amount of authority. I asked the First Officer to try his and he later commented that the right rudder on his side felt soft.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.