Narrative:

Normal preflight; start; and taxi from gate to runway 18L; daylight; VMC conditions. Normal observations on all checklists. Normal takeoff in slight left to right crosswind; first officer was PF. Normal rotation and liftoff. During climb out; the aircraft began a slight right drift at approximately 800 ft. First officer initiated a minor heading correction toward the left and noticed a stop in the yoke as aileron was applied slightly to the left of center. The jam felt as if hitting a mechanical stop. First officer notified the captain of the flight control problem who directed a level off at 3000 ft. While leveling; captain suggested maintaining current configuration (gear up/slats flaps 15/20). Captain took the controls; verified that the problem existed in both yokes and he then selected the #1 autoplt on. He maintained aircraft control for the remainder of the flight. An emergency was declared indicating a flight control malfunction. The captain then selected 15 degrees angle of bank on the autoplt and shallow left and right turns were successfully accomplished verifying positive controllability through autoplt use. A right pattern to a 10 mile final for runway 18C was requested and approach control was notified that all turns would be shallow. On downwind; the captain directed the one jumpseater onboard (a crewmember qualified in a different aircraft; but from the same company) to enter the cockpit and occupy the center seat. He was briefed to assist as directed and to maintain watch for abnormal flight parameters. Hydraulic pressures and quantities were checked and noted that one system quantity was pegged full which was verified on the hydraulic page. No other abnormalities noted. Captain elected to use dual autoplts to 'near' autoland with slats/flaps remaining at the current configuration of 15/20; low autobrakes. Captain disconnected the autoplt just prior to touchdown; approximately 5 ft. Note; the aircraft is not certified for autoland in that configuration. Aircraft maintained a controled; stable profile throughout; touched down on centerline in the touchdown zone. Upon rollout; after confirming positive nosewheel steering and brakes; we exited the runway and released fire and rescue crews. The aircraft was taxied to parking. The aircraft had just returned to service from heavy maintenance. During the work; sections of the cockpit were removed due to corrosion associated with leakage from the lav. Post flight maintenance revealed that a screw from the floor panel fell and became lodged in the left aileron tension regulator causing the jammed aileron.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the malfunction was discovered on takeoff climb due to a right drift caused by a slight crosswind. Adding; the aircraft control was through #1 autoplt and was primarily used until the approach was accomplished with both autoplts engaged. The captain stated that on rotation; the screw migrated to the left aileron tension regulator causing the jammed aileron.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 ON TKOF CLB AT 3000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO THE DEP FIELD DUE TO STOP IN AILERON JUST L OF CENTER. FOUND FLOORBOARD SCREW MIGRATED INTO L AILERON TENSION REGULATOR; JAMMING AILERON.

Narrative: NORMAL PREFLT; START; AND TAXI FROM GATE TO RWY 18L; DAYLIGHT; VMC CONDITIONS. NORMAL OBSERVATIONS ON ALL CHKLISTS. NORMAL TKOF IN SLIGHT L TO R XWIND; FO WAS PF. NORMAL ROTATION AND LIFTOFF. DURING CLBOUT; THE ACFT BEGAN A SLIGHT R DRIFT AT APPROX 800 FT. FO INITIATED A MINOR HDG CORRECTION TOWARD THE L AND NOTICED A STOP IN THE YOKE AS AILERON WAS APPLIED SLIGHTLY TO THE L OF CENTER. THE JAM FELT AS IF HITTING A MECHANICAL STOP. FO NOTIFIED THE CAPT OF THE FLT CTL PROBLEM WHO DIRECTED A LEVEL OFF AT 3000 FT. WHILE LEVELING; CAPT SUGGESTED MAINTAINING CURRENT CONFIGURATION (GEAR UP/SLATS FLAPS 15/20). CAPT TOOK THE CTLS; VERIFIED THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTED IN BOTH YOKES AND HE THEN SELECTED THE #1 AUTOPLT ON. HE MAINTAINED ACFT CTL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED INDICATING A FLT CTL MALFUNCTION. THE CAPT THEN SELECTED 15 DEGS ANGLE OF BANK ON THE AUTOPLT AND SHALLOW L AND R TURNS WERE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED VERIFYING POSITIVE CONTROLLABILITY THROUGH AUTOPLT USE. A R PATTERN TO A 10 MILE FINAL FOR RWY 18C WAS REQUESTED AND APCH CTL WAS NOTIFIED THAT ALL TURNS WOULD BE SHALLOW. ON DOWNWIND; THE CAPT DIRECTED THE ONE JUMPSEATER ONBOARD (A CREWMEMBER QUALIFIED IN A DIFFERENT ACFT; BUT FROM THE SAME COMPANY) TO ENTER THE COCKPIT AND OCCUPY THE CENTER SEAT. HE WAS BRIEFED TO ASSIST AS DIRECTED AND TO MAINTAIN WATCH FOR ABNORMAL FLT PARAMETERS. HYDRAULIC PRESSURES AND QUANTITIES WERE CHKED AND NOTED THAT ONE SYSTEM QUANTITY WAS PEGGED FULL WHICH WAS VERIFIED ON THE HYDRAULIC PAGE. NO OTHER ABNORMALITIES NOTED. CAPT ELECTED TO USE DUAL AUTOPLTS TO 'NEAR' AUTOLAND WITH SLATS/FLAPS REMAINING AT THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION OF 15/20; LOW AUTOBRAKES. CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN; APPROX 5 FT. NOTE; THE ACFT IS NOT CERTIFIED FOR AUTOLAND IN THAT CONFIGURATION. ACFT MAINTAINED A CTLED; STABLE PROFILE THROUGHOUT; TOUCHED DOWN ON CTRLINE IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. UPON ROLLOUT; AFTER CONFIRMING POSITIVE NOSEWHEEL STEERING AND BRAKES; WE EXITED THE RWY AND RELEASED FIRE AND RESCUE CREWS. THE ACFT WAS TAXIED TO PARKING. THE ACFT HAD JUST RETURNED TO SVC FROM HVY MAINT. DURING THE WORK; SECTIONS OF THE COCKPIT WERE REMOVED DUE TO CORROSION ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKAGE FROM THE LAV. POST FLT MAINT REVEALED THAT A SCREW FROM THE FLOOR PANEL FELL AND BECAME LODGED IN THE L AILERON TENSION REGULATOR CAUSING THE JAMMED AILERON.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE MALFUNCTION WAS DISCOVERED ON TKOF CLB DUE TO A R DRIFT CAUSED BY A SLIGHT XWIND. ADDING; THE ACFT CTL WAS THROUGH #1 AUTOPLT AND WAS PRIMARILY USED UNTIL THE APCH WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH BOTH AUTOPLTS ENGAGED. THE CAPT STATED THAT ON ROTATION; THE SCREW MIGRATED TO THE L AILERON TENSION REGULATOR CAUSING THE JAMMED AILERON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.