ELEVATOR CTL COLUMN STUCK.

Narrative

ON FLT MEM-GTR WE EXPERIENCED ACFT CTL PROBS. DURING THE FLARE FOR LNDG AT GTR OUR YOKE STUCK IN A NOSE DOWN POS AND THE ACFT WAS VERY CLOSE TO HITTING THE NOSEWHEEL FIRST. AFTER USING EXCESSIVE FORCE; I WAS ABLE TO UNSTICK THE YOKE FOR OUR GAR AT GTR. THROUGHOUT THE GAR AND THROUGHOUT THE PATTERN OUR YOKE CONTINUED TO STICK. THE YOKE FINALLY BECAME CLR OF ANY TYPE OF NOTICEABLE OBSTRUCTIONS ON A 3 MI FINAL AT GTR. THE PAX WERE BRIEFED AND CRASH; RESCUE AND FIRE WERE CALLED FOR PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AND WE LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 314370 : DURING THE FLARE MANEUVER FOR LNDG AT GTR ARPT; THE FLT CTLS GOT STUCK INTO POS NOT ALLOWING THE PF (CAPT) TO PROPERLY RAISE THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE UP FOR LNDG. A GAR WAS INITIATED WITH THE CAPT PULLING HARD ON THE YOKE. THE FLT CTLS UNSTUCK AND THEN STUCK AGAIN WITH THE AIRPLANE IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE THAT WAS MANAGEABLE FOR THE GAR. WE ENTERED THE PATTERN AND PERFORMED CONTROLLABILITY CHKS WHERE WE FOUND THE CTLS TO BE VERY HVY ON ROLL AND ALMOST IMMOVABLE ON PITCH. THE PITCH FROM WHEEL SEEMED TO BE TURNING NORMALLY. WE DETERMINED THAT WE COULD LAND THE AIRPLANE WITH THE CTL AUTH AVAILABLE. DURING THE 2ND CIRCUIT AROUND THE PATTERN I BRIEFED THE PAX AND REQUESTED EMER EQUIP AT THE ARPT JUST IN CASE. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE FELT IT WAS GETTING HARDER TO CTL THE AIRPLANE AND THE BEST THING WOULD BE TO LAND ASAP. DURING FINAL APCH THE CTLS GOT UNSTUCK AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS PERFORMED. AIRPLANE TYPE WAS BA3101 JETSTREAM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO SAID THE 3 JETSTREAM 3101'S IN THEIR FLEET ARE PARTICULARLY UNSTABLE AT BEST. MOST JETSTREAM PLTS WOULD AGREE THE 3101 IS UNSTABLE. THIS WAS 1 OF THE BEST OF THE 3 BUT STILL FLEW POORLY. THEY DO NOT HAVE AUTOPLTS. FORTUNATELY; THE CAPT WAS BIG AND STRONG; HE WEIGHS 215 LBS. THE MOVEMENT OF THE CTL COLUMN WAS RESTR TO ABOUT 1/4 INCH UP AND 1/4 INCH DOWN. THEY WERE BARELY ABLE TO AVOID LNDG ON THE NOSEWHEEL PRIOR TO THE GAR. THE RESTR WAS IN THE AILERON AS WELL AS THE ELEVATOR. MAINT FOUND A BEARING ASSEMBLY THAT HAD MALFUNCTIONED AT THE FORWARD BULKHEAD. THE RPTR SAID HE HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS OCCURRING BEFORE ON ANY AIRPLANE. HOWEVER; ANOTHER PLT RECALLS A SIMILAR; BUT; NOT AS SEVERE EXPERIENCE BEFORE WITH THIS SAME AIRPLANE. HE WROTE IT UP BUT THE CTLS OPERATED NORMALLY ON THE GND WHEN NOT UNDER AIR LOADS. THE CTLS OPERATED NORMALLY ON THE GND AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE ALSO; IT TAKES AIR LOADS AND THE BEARING TO GO ASKEW OR AWRY FOR THE SYMPTOM TO EXIST. THE MAINT AT FIRST THOUGHT IT HAD TO BE A PULLEY PROB BUT THERE ARE NO PULLEYS THAT WOULD EFFECT BOTH AILERON AND ELEVATOR -- ONLY THIS BEARING ASSEMBLY. IF THIS CREW HAD BEEN CLOSER TO MAX LNDG WT THE PROB MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORSE. AFTER THE BEARING WAS REPAIRED THE AIRPLANE FLEW NORMALLY.