A CE560 captain added right rudder during takeoff thinking a crosswind was the cause but discovered ...

Attributes
ACN	987608
Time
Date	201201
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Citation Excel (C560XL)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Rudder Trim System
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical

Narrative:

We started the engines and taxied to runway 33L and completed all taxi checks including the rudder bias with no abnormalities noticed. During takeoff roll extra right rudder pressure was required. At the time I thought the winds may have shifted a little and the plane was trying to weathervane. During the initial climb I continued to apply more right rudder and dialed in all the right rudder trim available. The aircraft still did not maintain coordinated flight. The decision was made at that time to return to the departure airport. We asked ATC for vectors to a visual on 33L and landed without incident. The plane landed; taxied and turned on the ground with normal rudder pressures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CE560 Captain added right rudder during takeoff thinking a crosswind was the cause but discovered after takeoff that rudder was needed continuously and so returned to the departure airport.

Narrative: We started the engines and taxied to Runway 33L and completed all taxi checks including the rudder bias with no abnormalities noticed. During takeoff roll extra right rudder pressure was required. At the time I thought the winds may have shifted a little and the plane was trying to weathervane. During the initial climb I continued to apply more right rudder and dialed in all the right rudder trim available. The aircraft still did not maintain coordinated flight. The decision was made at that time to return to the departure airport. We asked ATC for vectors to a visual on 33L and landed without incident. The plane landed; taxied and turned on the ground with normal rudder pressures.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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 CE560 captain added right rudder during takeoff thinking a crosswind was the cause but discovered after takeoff that rudder was needed continuously and so returned to the departure airport.