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Air carrier A300 aircraft started to shake and yaw with rudder pedal movement shortly after leveling at FL310. The flight crew slowed the aircraft and the flight characteristics returned to normal. An emergency was declared and the flight crew made an overweight landing at sju.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 347914 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199609 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sju |
| State Reference | PR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : mjzs |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 347914 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Immediately after leveling at FL310, aircraft began to shake/yaw back and forth accompanied by rudder movement that could not be overridden. This movement went by very fast, probably 5 or 6 cycles per second. The amount of rudder travel was enough to require immediate action to control the aircraft. Slowed the aircraft and started a descent to sju. Also declared an emergency. As soon as aircraft was slowed, the rudder pedals returned to normal. Flight conditions at FL310 were clear and smooth. .79 mach overweight landing at 320.6 pounds with crash fire rescue equipment notified. All was uneventful.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR A300 ACFT STARTED TO SHAKE AND YAW WITH RUDDER PEDAL MOVEMENT SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT FL310. THE FLC SLOWED THE ACFT AND THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS RETURNED TO NORMAL. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE FLC MADE AN OVERWT LNDG AT SJU.
Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEVELING AT FL310, ACFT BEGAN TO SHAKE/YAW BACK AND FORTH ACCOMPANIED BY RUDDER MOVEMENT THAT COULD NOT BE OVERRIDDEN. THIS MOVEMENT WENT BY VERY FAST, PROBABLY 5 OR 6 CYCLES PER SECOND. THE AMOUNT OF RUDDER TRAVEL WAS ENOUGH TO REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO CTL THE ACFT. SLOWED THE ACFT AND STARTED A DSCNT TO SJU. ALSO DECLARED AN EMER. AS SOON AS ACFT WAS SLOWED, THE RUDDER PEDALS RETURNED TO NORMAL. FLT CONDITIONS AT FL310 WERE CLR AND SMOOTH. .79 MACH OVERWT LNDG AT 320.6 LBS WITH CFR NOTIFIED. ALL WAS UNEVENTFUL.
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.