A B757 DSNDING IN ZTL AIRSPACE GOT INTO A SEVERE VIBRATION THAT FELT LIKE ACFT WAS COMING APART. R ELEVATOR PWR CTL ACTUATOR BUSHING AND BOLT WERE WORN; WHICH CAUSED THE VIBRATION.

Narrative

ON CLB TO FL310 FROM FL290; LEG DCA TO ATL; ACFT GOT INTO A SEVERE HARMONIC VERT VIBRATION THAT FELT LIKE ACFT WAS COMING APART. GREAT ANXIETY OF FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX. I HAD TO GO BACK TO CABIN AFTER DSCNT TO FL240 AND VIBRATION ENDED. VISUAL INSPECTION OF WINGS; TALKED TO SCARED PAX. BACK IN COCKPIT; FLT ATTENDANT IN COCKPIT ASKED ME TO MAKE ANOTHER PA FROM FIRST CLASS MIKE. CAME BACK IN; TALKING TO COMPANY AND FLT ATTENDANT WHEN FO SAID MACEY AT 13000 FT. HE WAS BRIEFING THE ARR. I THOUGHT HE HAD RECEIVED THE CLRNC SINCE WE WANTED TO SLOW DOWN AND DSND EARLY IN CASE VIBRATION CAME BACK. I TOOK CTL OF ACFT; DIALED IN 13000 ON MODE CTL PANEL AND BEGAN DSCNT. AROUND 18000 FT; ZTL SAID 'UNDERSTAND YOU ARE GOING TO CROSS MACEY AT 13000 FT.' WE SAID 'ROGER.' I DO NOT BELIEVE WE WERE CLRED TO DSND AS FO WAS ON ATC FREQ WHILE I WAS TALKING TO COMPANY AND FLT ATTENDANT. WE WERE ON ATC PRIORITY HANDLING AND IT WAS TIME TO DSND BUT I THINK WE NEVER RECEIVED ATC CLRNC. R ELEVATOR PWR CTL ACTUATOR BUSHING AND BOLT WERE WORN; ETC; WHICH CAUSED THE SEVERE VIBRATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 429861: EPILOGUE: AFTER INSPECTION OF THE ELEVATOR; MAINT FOUND THE R ELEVATOR BUSHING WORN PAST LIMITS; HENCE THE VIBRATION.