A B737 flight experience a malfunctioning rudder resulting in an emergency landing.

Attributes
ACN	619629
Time
Date	200405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zjx.artcc
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 178 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 12000
ASRS Report	619629
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During climb out, first officer (PF) discovered rudder trim would not trim to the left. The QRH was consulted, but no procedure exists for a failure of this nature. First officer took control again. By this time, constant left rudder pressure was needed. I (captain) called dispatch and asked for a phone patch with maintenance control. Maintenance control said we could try to cycle trim circuit breaker, but that would be my decision. (The QRH specifically prohibits pilots from cycling circuit breaker unless an authority/authorized technician approves it, which I think is maintenance! We declined this advice. It would have been better if he would have just said to cycle the breaker. He is the authority/authorized person!) after consulting with the first officer, dispatch and maintenance control, it was decided to divert to mco. (We would not have been able to hold the rudder pressure for the whole flight, and if inadvertently released, a possible hard-over could occur.) mco had long runways, and also had other aircraft to try to get passenger to ewr. We declared an emergency, briefed flight attendants and headed for mco. Normal landing was made with no further incident. As our legs would get tired, we would have to switch, and this required some coordination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT EXPERIENCE A MALFUNCTIONING RUDDER RESULTING IN AN EMER LNDG.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT, FO (PF) DISCOVERED RUDDER TRIM WOULD NOT TRIM TO THE L. THE QRH WAS CONSULTED, BUT NO PROC EXISTS FOR A FAILURE OF THIS NATURE. FO TOOK CTL AGAIN. BY THIS TIME, CONSTANT L RUDDER PRESSURE WAS NEEDED. I (CAPT) CALLED DISPATCH AND ASKED FOR A PHONE PATCH WITH MAINT CTL. MAINT CTL SAID WE COULD TRY TO CYCLE TRIM CIRCUIT BREAKER, BUT THAT WOULD BE MY DECISION. (THE QRH SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITS PLTS FROM CYCLING CIRCUIT BREAKER UNLESS AN AUTH TECHNICIAN APPROVES IT, WHICH I THINK IS MAINT! WE DECLINED THIS ADVICE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF HE WOULD HAVE JUST SAID TO CYCLE THE BREAKER. HE IS THE AUTH PERSON!) AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE FO, DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL, IT WAS DECIDED TO DIVERT TO MCO. (WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HOLD THE RUDDER PRESSURE FOR THE WHOLE FLT, AND IF INADVERTENTLY RELEASED, A POSSIBLE HARD-OVER COULD OCCUR.) MCO HAD LONG RWYS, AND ALSO HAD OTHER ACFT TO TRY TO GET PAX TO EWR. WE DECLARED AN EMER, BRIEFED FLT ATTENDANTS AND HEADED FOR MCO. NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. AS OUR LEGS WOULD GET TIRED, WE WOULD HAVE TO SWITCH, AND THIS REQUIRED SOME COORD.

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.