Rudder freeze simultaneous with engine flame out dictated return to lax and land.

Attributes
ACN	123266
Time
Date	198909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude descent other landing other
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 6700 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	123266
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	123271
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Level at 9000' due to opposite direction VFR traffic. A sharp rudder input was experienced followed by the flameout of #1 engine. Notified center of our situation and requested return to lax. All checklists were accomplished and information passed to ATC. Requested equipment to stand by for landing. Rudder travel was frozen to the right initially after flameout. Rudder travel seemed normal to left. Recovered full use of rudder during descent for landing. Airspeed at occurrence was 250 KTS and that was maintained until slowing for approach. Approach and landing was normal. Post-flight inspection by maintenance revealed a split fuel line on #1 engine. There was no explanation for the temporarily frozen rudder. Rudder checked okay on ground. Supplemental information from acn 123271: I noticed the rudder was partially jammed in that it would not move to the right. I did move to the left normally. Captain took control of airplane for descent and as he pulled the 3 good engines back for descent, he noticed that the rudder was no longer jammed and operated normally.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RUDDER FREEZE SIMULTANEOUS WITH ENGINE FLAME OUT DICTATED RETURN TO LAX AND LAND.

Narrative: LEVEL AT 9000' DUE TO OPPOSITE DIRECTION VFR TFC. A SHARP RUDDER INPUT WAS EXPERIENCED FOLLOWED BY THE FLAMEOUT OF #1 ENGINE. NOTIFIED CENTER OF OUR SITUATION AND REQUESTED RETURN TO LAX. ALL CHECKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND INFO PASSED TO ATC. REQUESTED EQUIPMENT TO STAND BY FOR LNDG. RUDDER TRAVEL WAS FROZEN TO THE RIGHT INITIALLY AFTER FLAMEOUT. RUDDER TRAVEL SEEMED NORMAL TO LEFT. RECOVERED FULL USE OF RUDDER DURING DSCNT FOR LNDG. AIRSPEED AT OCCURRENCE WAS 250 KTS AND THAT WAS MAINTAINED UNTIL SLOWING FOR APCH. APCH AND LNDG WAS NORMAL. POST-FLT INSPECTION BY MAINT REVEALED A SPLIT FUEL LINE ON #1 ENGINE. THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION FOR THE TEMPORARILY FROZEN RUDDER. RUDDER CHECKED OKAY ON GND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 123271: I NOTICED THE RUDDER WAS PARTIALLY JAMMED IN THAT IT WOULD NOT MOVE TO THE RIGHT. I DID MOVE TO THE LEFT NORMALLY. CAPT TOOK CONTROL OF AIRPLANE FOR DSCNT AND AS HE PULLED THE 3 GOOD ENGINES BACK FOR DSCNT, HE NOTICED THAT THE RUDDER WAS NO LONGER JAMMED AND OPERATED NORMALLY.

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.