Incident Report
The crew of a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 airplane reported a partial flight control malfunction during takeoff. The captain stated that during the takeoff roll, the airplane's nose failed to rise as he applied aft control yoke pressure. When he applied an excessive amount of aft control yoke pressure, the nose rotated slowly, and the airplane assumed the desired pitch angle for takeoff. Prior to the incident flight, the incident airplane remained parked outside overnight. During the night, the air temperature dropped below minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Inspection and Findings
Following the incident, the airplane underwent an extensive inspection and evaluation of the flight control system. Company maintenance personnel discovered no flight control anomalies during this process.
Flight Data Recorder Analysis
The NTSB's flight data recorder (FDR) readout showed that during the initial phase of the incident takeoff roll, both elevators remained in a down position. As the takeoff roll progressed and the airspeed approached 150 knots, both elevators responded to the pilot's control column inputs, and the nose of the airplane rotated. The pilot's control column position was not a recorded parameter of the incident airplane's FDR.