Narrative:

After leveloff at initial altitude, controls felt mushy and abnormal. A yaw motion occurred every 30 seconds or so. Emergency/abnormal checklists were completed. Control of aircraft was xferred to captain so he could determine condition. An emergency was declared in order to receive priority handling to teb. Position was about 20 mi south of teb. Landing confign was decided to be 20 degrees flaps and reference speed was increased 10- 20 KTS. A normal landing was made at teb. Postflt inspection of the aircraft did not reveal any ice or abnormal flight control conditions. The following day, I was contacted by mr X of the FAA office at teb. He handed me over to mr Y of the teb office of FAA. He asked me general questions about the overall control of the aircraft, and WX and flight conditions. He then proceeded to ask very sarcastic, patronizing and rhetorical questions such as: 'where should you land if you have a problem? How long is runway 6 at teb and how long is runway 1/19?' his questions made me feel very uncomfortable and as if I were defending myself and the actions we took. In retrospect, I would think twice about declaring an emergency. I now understand why pilots are very hesitant to declare emergencys because it opens the door for the FAA to make an investigation. In the future I will declare an emergency only if it is a life or death situation. I guess that's why aircraft are flown into the ground and crash when the controllers or others could have offered help. What a bad and unhealthy situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEAR 55 FLC DIVERTS TO TEB, NJ, AFTER EXPERIENCING SOME FLT CTL PROBS THAT WERE DESCRIBED AS 'MUSHY AND ABNORMAL.' WX WAS IMC. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE TEB FSDO OFFICE CALLED AND ASKED THE FO RHETORICAL AND INSINUATING QUESTIONS.

Narrative: AFTER LEVELOFF AT INITIAL ALT, CTLS FELT MUSHY AND ABNORMAL. A YAW MOTION OCCURRED EVERY 30 SECONDS OR SO. EMER/ABNORMAL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED. CTL OF ACFT WAS XFERRED TO CAPT SO HE COULD DETERMINE CONDITION. AN EMER WAS DECLARED IN ORDER TO RECEIVE PRIORITY HANDLING TO TEB. POS WAS ABOUT 20 MI S OF TEB. LNDG CONFIGN WAS DECIDED TO BE 20 DEGS FLAPS AND REF SPD WAS INCREASED 10- 20 KTS. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE AT TEB. POSTFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT DID NOT REVEAL ANY ICE OR ABNORMAL FLT CTL CONDITIONS. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I WAS CONTACTED BY MR X OF THE FAA OFFICE AT TEB. HE HANDED ME OVER TO MR Y OF THE TEB OFFICE OF FAA. HE ASKED ME GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OVERALL CTL OF THE ACFT, AND WX AND FLT CONDITIONS. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO ASK VERY SARCASTIC, PATRONIZING AND RHETORICAL QUESTIONS SUCH AS: 'WHERE SHOULD YOU LAND IF YOU HAVE A PROB? HOW LONG IS RWY 6 AT TEB AND HOW LONG IS RWY 1/19?' HIS QUESTIONS MADE ME FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND AS IF I WERE DEFENDING MYSELF AND THE ACTIONS WE TOOK. IN RETROSPECT, I WOULD THINK TWICE ABOUT DECLARING AN EMER. I NOW UNDERSTAND WHY PLTS ARE VERY HESITANT TO DECLARE EMERS BECAUSE IT OPENS THE DOOR FOR THE FAA TO MAKE AN INVESTIGATION. IN THE FUTURE I WILL DECLARE AN EMER ONLY IF IT IS A LIFE OR DEATH SIT. I GUESS THAT'S WHY ACFT ARE FLOWN INTO THE GND AND CRASH WHEN THE CTLRS OR OTHERS COULD HAVE OFFERED HELP. WHAT A BAD AND UNHEALTHY SIT.

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.