AN MD80 ON AUTOLAND SET UP AND EVERYTHING NORMAL UNTIL 15 FT ABOVE GND THE AUTOPLT PITCHED DOWN AND DISCONNECTED. CAPT EXECUTED FLARE FOR LNDG.

Narrative

ACFT REQUIRED AUTOLAND FOR CURRENCY. AUTOLAND WAS SET UP FOR RWY 17C ZZZ. ALL WAS NORMAL UNTIL ABOUT 15 FT AGL. THE AUTOPLT PITCHED DOWN AND THEN IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED. I MADE AN ATTEMPT AT A FLARE BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO TOUCH DOWN AND SURPRISINGLY IT WAS A DECENT LNDG. WHEN THE PITCH DOWN OCCURRED IT YANKED THE YOKE OUT OF MY HAND. THE PITCH DOWN AND THE DISCONNECT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY; NOT MORE THAN A SECOND; THAT THE ACFT DID NOT PHYSICALLY CHANGE ATTITUDE MUCH. WE HAD ACCOMPLISHED THE GND CHK AND ALL WAS AS IT SHOULD BE ON FINAL. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT ON THE RWY OR NEAR THE RWY. AT THE GATE MAINT RUN A CHK ON THE MAINT TEST FOR FAULTS AND SAID SOME 'A' SERVO ON THE ELEVATOR HAD FAILED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED WHEN THE ACFT PITCHED DOWN IT TOOK THE YOKE OUT OF HIS HANDS AND THRUST IT 9 INCHES FORWARD. THE RPTR SAID THE PITCH FORWARD; AUTOPLT DISCONNECT AND MANUAL FLARE TOOK A SECOND. THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE DID NOT REACT AS FAST AS THE CORRECTIVE ACTION AND A PRETTY FAIR LNDG WAS MADE. THE RPTR SAID MAINT FOUND THROUGH THE AUTOPLT SELF TEST THE ELEVATOR 'A' SERVO FAULTED.