Narrative:

This was a training flight where the applicant was training for his ATP certificate. We entered the practice performed steep turns, slow flight, and power off stalls. I vectored the student to a new heading and the student began performing an engine failure in-flight checklist. I inquired what he was doing, and he said the aircraft was acting strange, so I took the controls and found the ailerons were frozen. I immediately turned back towards trenton airport. I requested long final for runway 34 because the only way I could change heading was through rudders. I declared an emergency and was cleared to land. The emergency trucks followed me to the ramp where we shut down. The wing had caught the rivets installed from service bulletin 725B on the aileron. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that subsequent maintenance inspection found that a plastic tie around internal cables had broken and fallen on the aileron control chain and became lodged in the aileron sprocket causing the aileron control movement to be jammed. Since there was evidence of the piper service bulletin number 725B rivets rubbing the adjacent wing skin, the wing skin was bent up to help prevent this from happening. However, maintenance personnel recommended that flush mounted rivets be installed to permanently prevent this from happening in the future. Maintenance personnel also commented to reporter that this piper service bulletin is a kit supplied by the manufacturer and has been installed on all 1979 PA44 aircraft for 15 yrs and this is the first one giving trouble of which they are aware.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AILERONS BECAME STUCK ON A PIPER SEMINOLE, PA44, DURING A TRAINING FLT CAUSING THE INSTRUCTOR PLT TO DECLARE AN EMER AND MAKE A STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY DUE TO A LACK OF CTLING THE ACFT'S ROLL WITH ONLY RUDDERS.

Narrative: THIS WAS A TRAINING FLT WHERE THE APPLICANT WAS TRAINING FOR HIS ATP CERTIFICATE. WE ENTERED THE PRACTICE PERFORMED STEEP TURNS, SLOW FLT, AND PWR OFF STALLS. I VECTORED THE STUDENT TO A NEW HDG AND THE STUDENT BEGAN PERFORMING AN ENG FAILURE INFLT CHKLIST. I INQUIRED WHAT HE WAS DOING, AND HE SAID THE ACFT WAS ACTING STRANGE, SO I TOOK THE CTLS AND FOUND THE AILERONS WERE FROZEN. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK TOWARDS TRENTON ARPT. I REQUESTED LONG FINAL FOR RWY 34 BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY I COULD CHANGE HDG WAS THROUGH RUDDERS. I DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. THE EMER TRUCKS FOLLOWED ME TO THE RAMP WHERE WE SHUT DOWN. THE WING HAD CAUGHT THE RIVETS INSTALLED FROM SVC BULLETIN 725B ON THE AILERON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT SUBSEQUENT MAINT INSPECTION FOUND THAT A PLASTIC TIE AROUND INTERNAL CABLES HAD BROKEN AND FALLEN ON THE AILERON CTL CHAIN AND BECAME LODGED IN THE AILERON SPROCKET CAUSING THE AILERON CTL MOVEMENT TO BE JAMMED. SINCE THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF THE PIPER SVC BULLETIN NUMBER 725B RIVETS RUBBING THE ADJACENT WING SKIN, THE WING SKIN WAS BENT UP TO HELP PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. HOWEVER, MAINT PERSONNEL RECOMMENDED THAT FLUSH MOUNTED RIVETS BE INSTALLED TO PERMANENTLY PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. MAINT PERSONNEL ALSO COMMENTED TO RPTR THAT THIS PIPER SVC BULLETIN IS A KIT SUPPLIED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON ALL 1979 PA44 ACFT FOR 15 YRS AND THIS IS THE FIRST ONE GIVING TROUBLE OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE.

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.