Narrative:

At approximately XA30 am, 1/88 jfk, I preflight'd a cargo aircraft, widebody transport, for a nonstop flight to sea. The aircraft was loaded with freight and closed up the aircraft was cold, no APU running. I found some light snow on cargo and the on cargo deck due to blowing snow in ny that day. I started APU and warmed flight deck and cargo deck for approximately 2 hours before we departed jfk. We were deiced by 2 full trucks before departure. Everything was normal until approximately XD15Z at 35000' over nd. We had been clrd dir to sea from over central ny state. Autoplt/pms engaged. At approximately XD15Z the crew noted that the autoplt was turning us very slowly to the north and we were diverging slightly from course. Emergency was declared with msp center! The pilots attempted to fly the aircraft with autoplt and manually with great effort, but to no avail. Were able to use rudder and differential thrust and small amount of spoiler to level wings. After 10-15 mins and going through jammed controls procedure, pilots using 300-400 pounds pressure broke controls free. We chose to return to msp and land in daylight with very little crosswind. Landing was uneventful except spoilers extended only to flight detent. I could not pull any further. On ground found ice water fell from 2 small air conditioning drain plugs that had been left with caps off in left main fuselage gear wheel well. Cause: drain plugs left open, snow left under cargo pallets drained into left main fuselage well and refroze over control cables. Prevention: ground crew should ensure plugs are closed on air conditioning drains. Additional check from aircrew maybe required. Remove snow from cargo deck and landing crews should clear deck before loading cargo! Permanent fix: reroute drains, they are in a bad location!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB FRT ACFT HAD CARGO LOADED WITH SNOW RESULTING IN MELTING IN FLT CAUSING ICE TO FORM ON CTL CABLES INHIBITING CTL MOVEMENT. DIVERTED TO MSP FOR MAINTENANCE CHECK.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA30 AM, 1/88 JFK, I PREFLT'D A CARGO ACFT, WDB, FOR A NONSTOP FLT TO SEA. THE ACFT WAS LOADED WITH FREIGHT AND CLOSED UP THE ACFT WAS COLD, NO APU RUNNING. I FOUND SOME LIGHT SNOW ON CARGO AND THE ON CARGO DECK DUE TO BLOWING SNOW IN NY THAT DAY. I STARTED APU AND WARMED FLT DECK AND CARGO DECK FOR APPROX 2 HRS BEFORE WE DEPARTED JFK. WE WERE DEICED BY 2 FULL TRUCKS BEFORE DEP. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL APPROX XD15Z AT 35000' OVER ND. WE HAD BEEN CLRD DIR TO SEA FROM OVER CENTRAL NY STATE. AUTOPLT/PMS ENGAGED. AT APPROX XD15Z THE CREW NOTED THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS TURNING US VERY SLOWLY TO THE N AND WE WERE DIVERGING SLIGHTLY FROM COURSE. EMER WAS DECLARED WITH MSP CENTER! THE PLTS ATTEMPTED TO FLY THE ACFT WITH AUTOPLT AND MANUALLY WITH GREAT EFFORT, BUT TO NO AVAIL. WERE ABLE TO USE RUDDER AND DIFFERENTIAL THRUST AND SMALL AMOUNT OF SPOILER TO LEVEL WINGS. AFTER 10-15 MINS AND GOING THROUGH JAMMED CTLS PROC, PLTS USING 300-400 LBS PRESSURE BROKE CTLS FREE. WE CHOSE TO RETURN TO MSP AND LAND IN DAYLIGHT WITH VERY LITTLE XWIND. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT SPOILERS EXTENDED ONLY TO FLT DETENT. I COULD NOT PULL ANY FURTHER. ON GND FOUND ICE WATER FELL FROM 2 SMALL AIR CONDITIONING DRAIN PLUGS THAT HAD BEEN LEFT WITH CAPS OFF IN LEFT MAIN FUSELAGE GEAR WHEEL WELL. CAUSE: DRAIN PLUGS LEFT OPEN, SNOW LEFT UNDER CARGO PALLETS DRAINED INTO LEFT MAIN FUSELAGE WELL AND REFROZE OVER CTL CABLES. PREVENTION: GND CREW SHOULD ENSURE PLUGS ARE CLOSED ON AIR CONDITIONING DRAINS. ADDITIONAL CHK FROM AIRCREW MAYBE REQUIRED. REMOVE SNOW FROM CARGO DECK AND LNDG CREWS SHOULD CLEAR DECK BEFORE LOADING CARGO! PERMANENT FIX: REROUTE DRAINS, THEY ARE IN A BAD LOCATION!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.