AN AIRBUS A300-600 ON FLT CTL CHK PRIOR TO TKOF EXPERIENCED A VIOLENT FUSELAGE SHUDDER WITH MOVEMENT OF THE RUDDER. RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR MAINT.

Narrative

WHILE MOVING RUDDER DURING FLT CTLS CHK ON ACFT X (A-300) TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST; I NOTICED THAT THE ACFT FUSELAGE SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY WITH AN UNUSUAL VIBRATION THAT SEEMED TO START IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT AND PROGRESS FORWARD. HYDRAULIC PRESSURE; PUMPS; AND WHOLE HYDRAULIC SYS APPEARED NORMAL ON ECAM. MOVEMENT OF RUDDER WAS SLOW AND DELIBERATE; WITH NO SUDDEN MOTIONS AND ALLOWING THE RUDDER TO CENTER BEFORE MOVING THE OTHER DIRECTION. ALL OTHER FLT CTLS SEEMED TO WORK PROPERLY. AFTER DELIBERATION WITH FO; I DECIDED TO ALLOW ZZZ MAINT TO INVESTIGATE THE RUDDER. ENCLOSED IS THE WRITE UP FROM THE MAINT LOG FOR ACFT X WHICH DETAILS THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY ZZZ TO REPAIR THE RUDDER. THE ACFT WAS AGAIN PRESENTED TO ME FOR FLT ON WED NIGHT; MARCH/WED/2002 FOR ZZZ-ZZZ1. I ENCOUNTERED THE EXACT SAME PROB WHILE CHECKING THE RUDDER AND TAXIED THE ACFT BACK TO THE CHOCKS. I THEN INFORMED COMPANY DUTY OFFICER THAT I FELT UNSAFE FLYING WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE A DEFECTIVE ACFT. I HAVE FILED 2 FLT SAFETY RPTS WITH COMPANY AND HAVE NOTIFIED BOTH THE PLT'S ASSOCIATION UNION SAFETY OFFICE AND THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE. IT IS MY OPINION THE ACFT HAS A SERIOUS DEFECT WITH THE RUDDER AND I CONSIDER IT TOTALLY UNSAFE AND UNFIT FOR FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ON RETURN TO THE GATE MAINT WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE RPT OF THE SHUDDERING WITH RUDDER MOVEMENT. THE RPTR SAID THE CENTER GREEN RUDDER ACTUATOR WAS REPLACED FOR BYPASSING AND A BUSHING WAS FOUND DEFORMED ON A STOP LEVER WHICH ALSO WAS REPLACED. THE RPTR STATED THE NEXT DAY THE AIRPLANE WAS RELEASED FOR SVC AND WHEN THE FLT CTLS WERE TESTED AND THE RUDDER WAS DISPLACED THE AIRPLANE AGAIN SHUDDERED. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUSED AND THE INCIDENT RPTED TO THE CHIEF PLT. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY SENT A FLT CREW TO FLY THE AIRPLANE TO THE HEAVY MAINT BASE AND TROUBLESHOOT THE AIRPLANE ENRTE. THE RPTR SAID THE FLT TEST CREW RPT WAS THAT THE AIRPLANE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY HAS ISSUED A FLT CREW ALERT BULLETIN EXPLAINING THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE IS EMPTY AND WITH A LIGHT FUEL LOAD; THE SHUDDER; WHILE UNUSUAL; IS NORMAL. THE RPTR SAID HE HAS OPERATED SEVERAL EMPTY A-300 AIRPLANES LIGHTLY FUELED AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS SHUDDER EFFECT.