Narrative:

We first noted a problem on taxi out from the fat gate. The lower rudder showed only slight movement during the flight control check. All other flight controls checked normal. We asked fat ground control for a place to park the aircraft in order to investigate a potential problem. After the aircraft was parked and brakes set, captain asked me to refer to the appropriate pom abnormal checklist. I found nothing applicable in the hydraulic or flight control sections. He then asked me to refer to the appropriate sections of the prm. After discussions, he asked me to pull and reset 4 yaw damper rudder circuit breakers on the P-18-1 panel with no apparent results. He then asked me to pull and reset the rudder shutoff valve circuit breaker on the lower P-6 panel. We then turned off the system a hydraulic pumps and simultaneously actuated the flight controls in an effort to shock the system with no positive results. He then turned on the standby rudder and on checking rudder movement, noted normal full simultaneous deflection of both upper and lower rudder indices. During this period, we noted that the rudder system a low pressure light was illuminated. We then cycled the system a fluid shutoff switches. Pressures and quantities continued normal throughout. We then checked the MEL under hydraulics and lower rudder and found nothing applicable to this problem. We then called flight control and asked for the maintenance coordinator. We informed him of the aforementioned problem. The maintenance coordinator asked the crew to turn off system a pumps and also to check the standby system to see if it would work. Although we had already accomplished this, we tried it again. The maintenance coordinator then suggested that the second officer go to the 48-section and check the system a cannon plugs on the left sidewall by the aft airstair. I did this by physically assuring that they were seated securely. While I was performing these checks the maintenance coordinator cleared the frequency for other company usage. A few minutes later we called back the maintenance coordinator to inform him that this did not help. During this time 2 PA's were made to the passenger to keep them informed. At this time, atlanta strongly suggested that we continue the departure and re-file en route to lax. Our other option was to return to the gate and cancel. Desiring to fly the normal schedule, we asked if we could either have maintenance fly to fat or if contract maintenance was available. After further discussion, with the maintenance coordinator and being fully assured that full rudder operation was available with use of standby rudder, captain felt it was safe to continue the flight. At this point, we informed the passenger that the flight would continue with a stop in lax. On hearing this, a passenger became somewhat upset because he needed to get to reno in order to make connections for lake tahoe. This produced some confusion as the passenger needed to be consoled and assured he and the majority of passengers would best be accommodated in this manner. Captain then rechecked with flight control to assure that this course of action was in the best interests of all passengers. Flight control assured me that this was so, but that it was his option to either go to lax or return to the gate and cancel the flight. We then completed all checklists and notified ground we were ready to continue. We switched to tower and were released for takeoff. On departure, we asked for a clearance to lax. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter gave analyst the impression that he was upset by the decision to fly the airplane with the rudder problem. He was evasive as to who actually made the decision to go. He said he has not heard a thing about what the problem with the airplane was. He also said that the matter still is not over, that there was some action being taken. He was not specific as to whether it was the company, the FAA or both conducting the investigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNABLE TO GET FULL THROW OF THE LOWER RUDDER OF THE LGT, THE TRIP WAS FLOWN ANYWAY.

Narrative: WE FIRST NOTED A PROBLEM ON TAXI OUT FROM THE FAT GATE. THE LOWER RUDDER SHOWED ONLY SLIGHT MOVEMENT DURING THE FLT CONTROL CHECK. ALL OTHER FLT CONTROLS CHECKED NORMAL. WE ASKED FAT GND CTL FOR A PLACE TO PARK THE ACFT IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. AFTER THE ACFT WAS PARKED AND BRAKES SET, CAPT ASKED ME TO REFER TO THE APPROPRIATE POM ABNORMAL CHECKLIST. I FOUND NOTHING APPLICABLE IN THE HYDRAULIC OR FLT CTL SECTIONS. HE THEN ASKED ME TO REFER TO THE APPROPRIATE SECTIONS OF THE PRM. AFTER DISCUSSIONS, HE ASKED ME TO PULL AND RESET 4 YAW DAMPER RUDDER CIRCUIT BREAKERS ON THE P-18-1 PANEL WITH NO APPARENT RESULTS. HE THEN ASKED ME TO PULL AND RESET THE RUDDER SHUTOFF VALVE CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE LOWER P-6 PANEL. WE THEN TURNED OFF THE SYSTEM A HYDRAULIC PUMPS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTUATED THE FLT CONTROLS IN AN EFFORT TO SHOCK THE SYSTEM WITH NO POSITIVE RESULTS. HE THEN TURNED ON THE STANDBY RUDDER AND ON CHECKING RUDDER MOVEMENT, NOTED NORMAL FULL SIMULTANEOUS DEFLECTION OF BOTH UPPER AND LOWER RUDDER INDICES. DURING THIS PERIOD, WE NOTED THAT THE RUDDER SYSTEM A LOW PRESSURE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. WE THEN CYCLED THE SYSTEM A FLUID SHUTOFF SWITCHES. PRESSURES AND QUANTITIES CONTINUED NORMAL THROUGHOUT. WE THEN CHECKED THE MEL UNDER HYDRAULICS AND LOWER RUDDER AND FOUND NOTHING APPLICABLE TO THIS PROBLEM. WE THEN CALLED FLT CONTROL AND ASKED FOR THE MAINT COORDINATOR. WE INFORMED HIM OF THE AFOREMENTIONED PROBLEM. THE MAINT COORDINATOR ASKED THE CREW TO TURN OFF SYSTEM A PUMPS AND ALSO TO CHECK THE STANDBY SYSTEM TO SEE IF IT WOULD WORK. ALTHOUGH WE HAD ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED THIS, WE TRIED IT AGAIN. THE MAINT COORDINATOR THEN SUGGESTED THAT THE S/O GO TO THE 48-SECTION AND CHECK THE SYSTEM A CANNON PLUGS ON THE LEFT SIDEWALL BY THE AFT AIRSTAIR. I DID THIS BY PHYSICALLY ASSURING THAT THEY WERE SEATED SECURELY. WHILE I WAS PERFORMING THESE CHECKS THE MAINT COORDINATOR CLRED THE FREQ FOR OTHER COMPANY USAGE. A FEW MINUTES LATER WE CALLED BACK THE MAINT COORDINATOR TO INFORM HIM THAT THIS DID NOT HELP. DURING THIS TIME 2 PA'S WERE MADE TO THE PAX TO KEEP THEM INFORMED. AT THIS TIME, ATLANTA STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT WE CONTINUE THE DEP AND RE-FILE ENRTE TO LAX. OUR OTHER OPTION WAS TO RETURN TO THE GATE AND CANCEL. DESIRING TO FLY THE NORMAL SCHEDULE, WE ASKED IF WE COULD EITHER HAVE MAINT FLY TO FAT OR IF CONTRACT MAINT WAS AVAILABLE. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION, WITH THE MAINT COORDINATOR AND BEING FULLY ASSURED THAT FULL RUDDER OPERATION WAS AVAILABLE WITH USE OF STANDBY RUDDER, CAPT FELT IT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE THE FLT. AT THIS POINT, WE INFORMED THE PAX THAT THE FLT WOULD CONTINUE WITH A STOP IN LAX. ON HEARING THIS, A PAX BECAME SOMEWHAT UPSET BECAUSE HE NEEDED TO GET TO RENO IN ORDER TO MAKE CONNECTIONS FOR LAKE TAHOE. THIS PRODUCED SOME CONFUSION AS THE PASSENGER NEEDED TO BE CONSOLED AND ASSURED HE AND THE MAJORITY OF PASSENGERS WOULD BEST BE ACCOMMODATED IN THIS MANNER. CAPT THEN RECHECKED WITH FLT CONTROL TO ASSURE THAT THIS COURSE OF ACTION WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL PASSENGERS. FLT CONTROL ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS SO, BUT THAT IT WAS HIS OPTION TO EITHER GO TO LAX OR RETURN TO THE GATE AND CANCEL THE FLT. WE THEN COMPLETED ALL CHECKLISTS AND NOTIFIED GND WE WERE READY TO CONTINUE. WE SWITCHED TO TWR AND WERE RELEASED FOR TKOF. ON DEP, WE ASKED FOR A CLRNC TO LAX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER GAVE ANALYST THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS UPSET BY THE DECISION TO FLY THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RUDDER PROBLEM. HE WAS EVASIVE AS TO WHO ACTUALLY MADE THE DECISION TO GO. HE SAID HE HAS NOT HEARD A THING ABOUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIRPLANE WAS. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE MATTER STILL IS NOT OVER, THAT THERE WAS SOME ACTION BEING TAKEN. HE WAS NOT SPECIFIC AS TO WHETHER IT WAS THE COMPANY, THE FAA OR BOTH CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.