Narrative:

On takeoff roll, I pushed the control column forward. However, I didn't notice 'normal' elevator authority/authorized. At vr, I pulled back on the control column and noticed a 'dead spot' in the elevator travel. As I kept slowly pulling aft, the aircraft rapidly rotated. In-flight, all flight controls and indications were normal. I called dispatch and maintenance control and both said to continue to sat. I said I'd like sat mechanics to look at the aircraft upon arrival. The flight was normal and the flight controls operated normally at all airspds and configns. Upon landing, I pushed the control column full forward and got what seemed like limited elevator response. I wrote the following discrepancy upon arrival in sat. 'On takeoff, dead band noted. Limited nose-down authority/authorized. Pulling back on control column gave no response for a few inches then sudden nose-up response. Flight controls normal in-flight, any flap setting, any speed.' the mechanics found a broken spring in the feel mechanism. Since the aircraft was flying normally, and after a consultation with dispatch and maintenance control, we elected to fly to san antonio. Had we returned to phx, we would have had an overweight landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 PIC CONTINUES TKOF AFTER HE NOTES A CTL COLUMN ANOMALY LATER DESCRIBED AS A 'DEAD SPOT' IN THE ELEVATOR TRAVEL AT PHX, AZ.

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL, I PUSHED THE CTL COLUMN FORWARD. HOWEVER, I DIDN'T NOTICE 'NORMAL' ELEVATOR AUTH. AT VR, I PULLED BACK ON THE CTL COLUMN AND NOTICED A 'DEAD SPOT' IN THE ELEVATOR TRAVEL. AS I KEPT SLOWLY PULLING AFT, THE ACFT RAPIDLY ROTATED. INFLT, ALL FLT CTLS AND INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. I CALLED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL AND BOTH SAID TO CONTINUE TO SAT. I SAID I'D LIKE SAT MECHS TO LOOK AT THE ACFT UPON ARR. THE FLT WAS NORMAL AND THE FLT CTLS OPERATED NORMALLY AT ALL AIRSPDS AND CONFIGNS. UPON LNDG, I PUSHED THE CTL COLUMN FULL FORWARD AND GOT WHAT SEEMED LIKE LIMITED ELEVATOR RESPONSE. I WROTE THE FOLLOWING DISCREPANCY UPON ARR IN SAT. 'ON TKOF, DEAD BAND NOTED. LIMITED NOSE-DOWN AUTH. PULLING BACK ON CTL COLUMN GAVE NO RESPONSE FOR A FEW INCHES THEN SUDDEN NOSE-UP RESPONSE. FLT CTLS NORMAL INFLT, ANY FLAP SETTING, ANY SPD.' THE MECHS FOUND A BROKEN SPRING IN THE FEEL MECHANISM. SINCE THE ACFT WAS FLYING NORMALLY, AND AFTER A CONSULTATION WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL, WE ELECTED TO FLY TO SAN ANTONIO. HAD WE RETURNED TO PHX, WE WOULD HAVE HAD AN OVERWT LNDG.

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.