SAAB 340 FLT CREW NEGLECTS TO PERFORM A REQUIRED PREFLT CHK ON THE ACFT'S RUDDER PRIOR TO DEP AND DISCOVERS LIMITED MOVEMENT OF THE RUDDER DURING THE PRE-TKOF CHK.

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RUDDER LIMITER ON ACFT WAS MEL'ED. MEL PROCS CALLED FOR VISUAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHK OF RUDDER PRIOR TO DEP. WE DID NOT DO THIS AT GATE. DURING PRE-TKOF CHK; LIMITED MOVEMENT OF RUDDER WAS NOTED. RETURNED TO GATE FOR MAINT ACTION. RECOMMENDATION: THE MEL BOOK LISTS THE PRE-DEP CHK AS A MAINT ACTION THAT MAY BE PERFORMED BY FLT CREW. SINCE THIS CHK WILL ALMOST ALWAYS BE DONE BY THE FLT CREW; IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE LISTED AS AN ITEM UNDER THE 'O' SECTION OF THE MEL FOR FLT CREW PROC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHES FROM 'LOW SPD' RUDDER LIMITER THROW TO 'HIGH SPD' LIMITER DURING FLT. OFTEN THE RUDDER LIMITER WILL REMAIN (STUCK) IN THE HIGH SPD SETTING AND THIS LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF RUDDER MOVEMENT AVAILABLE FOR ENG OUT REQUIREMENTS. MAINT PERSONNEL WILL RESET THE RUDDER LIMITER TO THE LOW SPD SETTING AND DEFER (MEL) THE LIMITER. AFTER THE MAINT IS COMPLETE; THE FLT CREW IS AUTH TO PERFORM THE CHK ON THE RUDDER. HOWEVER; THERE IS NO PLACE WHERE THE FLT CREW IS NOTIFIED REGARDING THE REQUIRED CHK. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE CHK SHOULD BE ON THE FLT PLAN OR RELEASE; OR THE FLT CREW NOTIFIED BY A NOTE IN THE ACFT'S LOGBOOK. THIS IS A SAFETY OF FLT ITEM AND SHOULD HAVE A POSITIVE CHK BY EITHER MAINT OR THE FLT CREW.