Narrative:

Aircraft system failures, flight controls. First officer flying, on the takeoff roll we felt the nose pull to the right at approximately 100 KTS. He corrected to the centerline without problem, but we felt the same occur during rotation and again, to a lesser extent, at approximately 1000 ft AGL. Following cleanup, the aircraft seemed to be normal. However, with my concern for potential B737 rudder problems, I asked the flight attendant if any of them noticed anything unusual on takeoff. Without my prompting, they each described what we had felt in the cockpit, much more significant in the rear of the jet, and I felt I needed to get hold of dispatch and maintenance control. We all quickly agreed that we should return to the airport. We notified ATC, declared an emergency, and returned to land sidestepping to parallel runway uneventfully. Center, TRACON, and tower/ground were all quite helpful and expeditious. With the history of B737 rudder issues on older models, I felt it was the safest course of action. Supplemental information from acn 632454: immediately before and after rotation there was clearly a rudder jerk that lunged the aircraft slightly then corrected quickly. Callback conversation with reporter acn 632443 revealed the following information: the captain filed an air carrier report. This allowed the flight recorder to be read out. The flight recorder readout was inconclusive. It showed the rudder pedal movement the first officer put in to correct to the centerline of the runway. The captain talked to the assistant chief pilot for the B737, to brief him on all the details. The reporter does not know what was found, or what maintenance action was taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 CREW HAD AN UNCOMMANDED RUDDER MOVEMENT ON TKOF, AND INFLT, DECLARED EMER AND RETURNED TO ARPT AND LANDED.

Narrative: ACFT SYSTEM FAILURES, FLT CTLS. FO FLYING, ON THE TKOF ROLL WE FELT THE NOSE PULL TO THE R AT APPROX 100 KTS. HE CORRECTED TO THE CTRLINE WITHOUT PROB, BUT WE FELT THE SAME OCCUR DURING ROTATION AND AGAIN, TO A LESSER EXTENT, AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL. FOLLOWING CLEANUP, THE ACFT SEEMED TO BE NORMAL. HOWEVER, WITH MY CONCERN FOR POTENTIAL B737 RUDDER PROBS, I ASKED THE FA IF ANY OF THEM NOTICED ANYTHING UNUSUAL ON TKOF. WITHOUT MY PROMPTING, THEY EACH DESCRIBED WHAT WE HAD FELT IN THE COCKPIT, MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT IN THE REAR OF THE JET, AND I FELT I NEEDED TO GET HOLD OF DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL. WE ALL QUICKLY AGREED THAT WE SHOULD RETURN TO THE ARPT. WE NOTIFIED ATC, DECLARED AN EMER, AND RETURNED TO LAND SIDESTEPPING TO PARALLEL RWY UNEVENTFULLY. CTR, TRACON, AND TWR/GND WERE ALL QUITE HELPFUL AND EXPEDITIOUS. WITH THE HISTORY OF B737 RUDDER ISSUES ON OLDER MODELS, I FELT IT WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 632454: IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER ROTATION THERE WAS CLEARLY A RUDDER JERK THAT LUNGED THE ACFT SLIGHTLY THEN CORRECTED QUICKLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 632443 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT FILED AN ACR RPT. THIS ALLOWED THE FLT RECORDER TO BE READ OUT. THE FLT RECORDER READOUT WAS INCONCLUSIVE. IT SHOWED THE RUDDER PEDAL MOVEMENT THE FO PUT IN TO CORRECT TO THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY. THE CAPT TALKED TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT FOR THE B737, TO BRIEF HIM ON ALL THE DETAILS. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT WAS FOUND, OR WHAT MAINT ACTION WAS TAKEN.

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.