Narrative:

After taking off from ewr airport, I found the aircraft hard to control. Found the left aileron locked in the up position. Aircraft became more difficult to control the slower we got. By the time we got on short final, I had full right aileron with left rudder and excess power to keep on a straight course. After landing, we found the aileron cable broken. At this time the NTSB is checking on this problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the first thing that the NTSB investigator, and this analyst, asked the reporter was 'did the controls check out on preflight?' yes, they did. The reason that the reporter sent in his report to ASRS is that he thought that he had failed to sign the logbook after the incident and he wanted to cover his anatomy (he did sign the logbook). The left down aileron cable broke in the wheel well (the other one was about to break) causing the left aileron to go full up. The control was easier at higher speed than at landing pattern speeds. There was no apparent blow- down with increasing speed. The cable did not break at the end where there might have been a manufacturing defect, but 'in the middle' behind a pulley in the wheel well. This incident happened after a very big storm at ewr and the NTSB found ice in the wheel well. The reporter states that he had to use full right aileron and differential power to keep the wings level at landing speeds. The reporter is surprised that the FAA has had no contact with him (it has been a month), and that no emergency airworthiness directive has been issued to check other medium large transport's in service.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE L DOWN AILERON CABLE BROKE ON AN ACR MLG CAUSING CTL PROBS.

Narrative: AFTER TAKING OFF FROM EWR ARPT, I FOUND THE ACFT HARD TO CTL. FOUND THE L AILERON LOCKED IN THE UP POS. ACFT BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO CTL THE SLOWER WE GOT. BY THE TIME WE GOT ON SHORT FINAL, I HAD FULL R AILERON WITH L RUDDER AND EXCESS PWR TO KEEP ON A STRAIGHT COURSE. AFTER LNDG, WE FOUND THE AILERON CABLE BROKEN. AT THIS TIME THE NTSB IS CHKING ON THIS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FIRST THING THAT THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR, AND THIS ANALYST, ASKED THE RPTR WAS 'DID THE CTLS CHK OUT ON PREFLT?' YES, THEY DID. THE REASON THAT THE RPTR SENT IN HIS RPT TO ASRS IS THAT HE THOUGHT THAT HE HAD FAILED TO SIGN THE LOGBOOK AFTER THE INCIDENT AND HE WANTED TO COVER HIS ANATOMY (HE DID SIGN THE LOGBOOK). THE L DOWN AILERON CABLE BROKE IN THE WHEEL WELL (THE OTHER ONE WAS ABOUT TO BREAK) CAUSING THE L AILERON TO GO FULL UP. THE CTL WAS EASIER AT HIGHER SPD THAN AT LNDG PATTERN SPDS. THERE WAS NO APPARENT BLOW- DOWN WITH INCREASING SPD. THE CABLE DID NOT BREAK AT THE END WHERE THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, BUT 'IN THE MIDDLE' BEHIND A PULLEY IN THE WHEEL WELL. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AFTER A VERY BIG STORM AT EWR AND THE NTSB FOUND ICE IN THE WHEEL WELL. THE RPTR STATES THAT HE HAD TO USE FULL R AILERON AND DIFFERENTIAL PWR TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL AT LNDG SPDS. THE RPTR IS SURPRISED THAT THE FAA HAS HAD NO CONTACT WITH HIM (IT HAS BEEN A MONTH), AND THAT NO EMER AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE HAS BEEN ISSUED TO CHK OTHER MLG'S IN SVC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.