A DASSAULT 50 ON CLB FROM FL240 TO FL310 AILERON CTLS FELT UNUSUAL AND SEEMED TO GET WORSE. STILL ABLE TO CTL ACFT; CREW DIVERTED TO DEP STATION.
Synopsis
A DASSAULT 50 ON CLB FROM FL240 TO FL310 AILERON CTLS FELT UNUSUAL AND SEEMED TO GET WORSE. STILL ABLE TO CTL ACFT; CREW DIVERTED TO DEP STATION.
Narrative
ON CLB OUT FROM ZZZ AT FL240; THE AILERONS FELT UNUSUAL; AT FL310 THE CTLS SEEMED TO GET WORSE. WE DISCUSSED THE SIT AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ TO SEEK OUT MAINT. THERE WAS NEVER A TIME THAT WE FELT OUT OF CTL OR THAT THE ACFT WAS IN ANY DANGER. WE FELT TO RETURN TO THE ARPT WOULD BE THE MOST CONSERVATIVE RESPONSE AND SAFEST OPTION FOR EVERYONE CONCERNED. MAINT WAS PERFORMED. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AUTOPLT SERVO WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND THEREFORE REPLACED. A TEST FLT WAS PERFORMED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT EVERYTHING FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THE PROB WITH THE AILERONS WAS CAUSED BY THE AILERON FEEL UNIT LOCATED IN THE L WING ROOT MOUNTED ABOVE THE AUTOPLT AILERON SERVO. THE ARTIFICIAL FEEL UNIT WAS LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID ONTO AND INTO THE AUTOPLT AILERON SERVO. THERE WAS NO DRIP SHIELD ABOVE THE AUTOPLT AILERON SERVO TO PREVENT DAMAGE FROM HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE. THE FLUID SOAKED THE SERVO AND ALL THE CABLES AND PULLEYS ATTACHED TO AND ADJACENT TO THE SERVO. THE SERVO WAS REPLACED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS FLT TESTED WITH NO PROBS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.