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A B727-200 in climb at 6000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to an upper and lower rudder split caused by a yaw damper failure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 392103 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dlp |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mia |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude other other |
| Route In Use | departure other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 392103 |
| 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 | other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
On departure from mia first officer was flying. After clean-up first officer needed approximately 20 degrees left aileron control wheel to keep wings level. We continued south on our departure and while accelerating through 220 KTS, we experienced a rolling moment and a definite movement from the tail section. We also noticed a split on the yaw damper gauge with the upper rudder to the left and the lower rudder to the right. We continued to accelerate and the aircraft settled down and the rudders came back to normal. We agreed to accelerate because the aircraft was flying normally and it happened again passing 240 KTS. I decided to declare an emergency and returned to mia. We dumped approximately 13000 pounds of fuel and while decelerating the top and bottom rudders split again. We noticed the tail section move considerably and this was confirmed by the flight attendant. We configured normally after slowing to 200 KTS and landed uneventfully. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a B727-200 and maintenance reported the corrective action was the replacement of the upper and lower yaw damper couplers. The reporter said the rudder position indicator showed the rudders did split.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727-200 IN CLB AT 6000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO AN UPPER AND LOWER RUDDER SPLIT CAUSED BY A YAW DAMPER FAILURE.
Narrative: ON DEP FROM MIA FO WAS FLYING. AFTER CLEAN-UP FO NEEDED APPROX 20 DEGS L AILERON CTL WHEEL TO KEEP WINGS LEVEL. WE CONTINUED S ON OUR DEP AND WHILE ACCELERATING THROUGH 220 KTS, WE EXPERIENCED A ROLLING MOMENT AND A DEFINITE MOVEMENT FROM THE TAIL SECTION. WE ALSO NOTICED A SPLIT ON THE YAW DAMPER GAUGE WITH THE UPPER RUDDER TO THE L AND THE LOWER RUDDER TO THE R. WE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND THE ACFT SETTLED DOWN AND THE RUDDERS CAME BACK TO NORMAL. WE AGREED TO ACCELERATE BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS FLYING NORMALLY AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN PASSING 240 KTS. I DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND RETURNED TO MIA. WE DUMPED APPROX 13000 LBS OF FUEL AND WHILE DECELERATING THE TOP AND BOTTOM RUDDERS SPLIT AGAIN. WE NOTICED THE TAIL SECTION MOVE CONSIDERABLY AND THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT. WE CONFIGURED NORMALLY AFTER SLOWING TO 200 KTS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B727-200 AND MAINT REPORTED THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE UPPER AND LOWER YAW DAMPER COUPLERS. THE RPTR SAID THE RUDDER POS INDICATOR SHOWED THE RUDDERS DID SPLIT.
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.