Narrative:

The first officer had flown uneventfully from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 with the autoplt engaged. We broke out of the clouds at 800 ft AGL on the ZZZ2 ILS. The first officer disengaged the autoplt at 600 ft AGL and hand flew the aircraft to a landing; noting nothing unusual until the landing flare. During the flare; the first officer commented that it took greater than normal force on the control yoke to raise the nose to the landing attitude. The landing itself was uneventful. After landing; we both moved the control yoke forward and aft several times; noting that it took greater than normal force to move the yoke forward and aft. Yoke movements of the ailerons felt normal. I notified maintenance control and made a write-up in the aircraft maintenance log. I spoke to a chief pilot on the phone about the event; asking if it met the criteria for a flight control system malfunction requiring NTSB notification. He said that submitting an irregularity report would be sufficient. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he has extensive experience flying in this type of aircraft; and has never experienced anything like this in the pitch system before. Although maintenance could not duplicate the control yoke force resistance; they decided to change the autoplt pitch servo. Reporter also stated the aircraft was tracked for any subsequent pitch force issues and so far; appears not to have any further problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ200 FO COMMENTED THAT IT TOOK GREATER THAN NORMAL FORCE ON THE CTL YOKE TO RAISE THE NOSE TO THE LNDG POS.

Narrative: THE FO HAD FLOWN UNEVENTFULLY FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED. WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 800 FT AGL ON THE ZZZ2 ILS. THE FO DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AT 600 FT AGL AND HAND FLEW THE ACFT TO A LNDG; NOTING NOTHING UNUSUAL UNTIL THE LNDG FLARE. DURING THE FLARE; THE FO COMMENTED THAT IT TOOK GREATER THAN NORMAL FORCE ON THE CTL YOKE TO RAISE THE NOSE TO THE LNDG ATTITUDE. THE LNDG ITSELF WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG; WE BOTH MOVED THE CTL YOKE FORWARD AND AFT SEVERAL TIMES; NOTING THAT IT TOOK GREATER THAN NORMAL FORCE TO MOVE THE YOKE FORWARD AND AFT. YOKE MOVEMENTS OF THE AILERONS FELT NORMAL. I NOTIFIED MAINT CTL AND MADE A WRITE-UP IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG. I SPOKE TO A CHIEF PLT ON THE PHONE ABOUT THE EVENT; ASKING IF IT MET THE CRITERIA FOR A FLT CTL SYS MALFUNCTION REQUIRING NTSB NOTIFICATION. HE SAID THAT SUBMITTING AN IRREGULARITY RPT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE FLYING IN THIS TYPE OF ACFT; AND HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN THE PITCH SYS BEFORE. ALTHOUGH MAINT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CTL YOKE FORCE RESISTANCE; THEY DECIDED TO CHANGE THE AUTOPLT PITCH SERVO. RPTR ALSO STATED THE ACFT WAS TRACKED FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT PITCH FORCE ISSUES AND SO FAR; APPEARS NOT TO HAVE ANY FURTHER PROBS.

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.