Narrative:

Aircraft departed ZZZ at XA15Z (1 mi RA, 8 degrees C), cowl ice on. Departed off of runway 1. Complied with northwest 328 SID or noise abatement procedure. We were VMC at about 6000 ft, and I (captain, at controls) turned on autoplt. We were issued several heading changes throughout the climb and cruise. All turns standard rate 20-25 degree bank. Destination was YYY (55 min flight). At 18 mins out, received 'autoplt trim lwd' message on ED1, or display. This indicated that the autoplt had moved the trim to a degree that it could not turn the airplane. I clicked off the autoplt and noticed that the bank control seemed to be very stiff and I had limited maneuverability. I told the first officer, and together we thought the most likely scenario was that water had frozen and jammed or was interfering with the ailerons. A known problem with this aircraft. Since I was already in the initial descent, I asked to continue down to 10000 ft to warmer air. I was careful with my initial pitch angle (I was now hand flying) to make sure that the elevator was working, then set an altitude for a 2000 FPM descent. Almost immediately the controls became free again, and I elected to continue to hand fly to runway 4L (most favorable in terms of winds, etc). WX was VMC. The landing was uneventful. I talked to our maintenance control after the flight, and they indicated that the water freezing in the ailerons was the most likely culprit. Air carrier X contract maintenance in YYY inspected the aircraft and found no moisture evident, and did find a sort of washer that had come loose, and appeared to make contact with the (a) pulley in the aileron controls. (I also saw this as I was there.) air carrier maintenance, therefore, refused to sign off the write-up. Ferry flight permit was requested and, apparently, my company's maintenance flew out and did a system check then ferried the aircraft back to XXX. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the lack of aileron control was believed to be caused by freezing of the aileron components by landing in heavy rain and taking off again in rain. The reporter said this aircraft has a known problem with wet runway takeoffs and lndgs freezing the ailerons at altitude. The reporter stated the contract technicians believed it also a freezing problem and checked the aileron components in the main wheel where the power units were dry. The reporter said the spoilers were extended and, with the aileron cables visible, the ailerons were exercised and a broken cable guide was found hanging on an aileron cable in the left wing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 IN DSCNT AT FL210 FOUND AILERONS STIFF AND WITH LIMITED MANEUVERABILITY. FOUND BROKEN CABLE GUIDE INTERFERING WITH AILERON CABLE.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED ZZZ AT XA15Z (1 MI RA, 8 DEGS C), COWL ICE ON. DEPARTED OFF OF RWY 1. COMPLIED WITH NW 328 SID OR NOISE ABATEMENT PROC. WE WERE VMC AT ABOUT 6000 FT, AND I (CAPT, AT CTLS) TURNED ON AUTOPLT. WE WERE ISSUED SEVERAL HDG CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE CLB AND CRUISE. ALL TURNS STANDARD RATE 20-25 DEG BANK. DEST WAS YYY (55 MIN FLT). AT 18 MINS OUT, RECEIVED 'AUTOPLT TRIM LWD' MESSAGE ON ED1, OR DISPLAY. THIS INDICATED THAT THE AUTOPLT HAD MOVED THE TRIM TO A DEGREE THAT IT COULD NOT TURN THE AIRPLANE. I CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND NOTICED THAT THE BANK CTL SEEMED TO BE VERY STIFF AND I HAD LIMITED MANEUVERABILITY. I TOLD THE FO, AND TOGETHER WE THOUGHT THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO WAS THAT WATER HAD FROZEN AND JAMMED OR WAS INTERFERING WITH THE AILERONS. A KNOWN PROB WITH THIS ACFT. SINCE I WAS ALREADY IN THE INITIAL DSCNT, I ASKED TO CONTINUE DOWN TO 10000 FT TO WARMER AIR. I WAS CAREFUL WITH MY INITIAL PITCH ANGLE (I WAS NOW HAND FLYING) TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ELEVATOR WAS WORKING, THEN SET AN ALT FOR A 2000 FPM DSCNT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE CTLS BECAME FREE AGAIN, AND I ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO HAND FLY TO RWY 4L (MOST FAVORABLE IN TERMS OF WINDS, ETC). WX WAS VMC. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I TALKED TO OUR MAINT CTL AFTER THE FLT, AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE WATER FREEZING IN THE AILERONS WAS THE MOST LIKELY CULPRIT. ACR X CONTRACT MAINT IN YYY INSPECTED THE ACFT AND FOUND NO MOISTURE EVIDENT, AND DID FIND A SORT OF WASHER THAT HAD COME LOOSE, AND APPEARED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE (A) PULLEY IN THE AILERON CTLS. (I ALSO SAW THIS AS I WAS THERE.) ACR MAINT, THEREFORE, REFUSED TO SIGN OFF THE WRITE-UP. FERRY FLT PERMIT WAS REQUESTED AND, APPARENTLY, MY COMPANY'S MAINT FLEW OUT AND DID A SYS CHK THEN FERRIED THE ACFT BACK TO XXX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LACK OF AILERON CTL WAS BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY FREEZING OF THE AILERON COMPONENTS BY LNDG IN HVY RAIN AND TAKING OFF AGAIN IN RAIN. THE RPTR SAID THIS ACFT HAS A KNOWN PROB WITH WET RWY TKOFS AND LNDGS FREEZING THE AILERONS AT ALT. THE RPTR STATED THE CONTRACT TECHNICIANS BELIEVED IT ALSO A FREEZING PROB AND CHKED THE AILERON COMPONENTS IN THE MAIN WHEEL WHERE THE PWR UNITS WERE DRY. THE RPTR SAID THE SPOILERS WERE EXTENDED AND, WITH THE AILERON CABLES VISIBLE, THE AILERONS WERE EXERCISED AND A BROKEN CABLE GUIDE WAS FOUND HANGING ON AN AILERON CABLE IN THE L WING.

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.