AN A320 PLT RPTS A RETURN TO LAND FOLLOWING AN AILERON FLUTTER EXPERIENCED IN FLIGHT. AILERON ACTUATOR REPLACED.

Date: 2007-08 · Aircraft: A320 · Phase: climb

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical

Synopsis

AN A320 PLT RPTS A RETURN TO LAND FOLLOWING AN AILERON FLUTTER EXPERIENCED IN FLIGHT. AILERON ACTUATOR REPLACED.

Narrative

NORMAL TAKEOFF AND CLIMB OUT BY FO. DEP CONSISTED OF 2 R HAND TURNS. THE FIRST TO A HEADING OF 200 THEN 010 DEGS. THE NEXT TURN OUT OF 10000 FT WAS A L TURN TO A HEADING OF I BELIEVE 350 DEGS. IT WAS DURING THIS TURN THAT I NOTICED A SLIGHT BUFFETING TO THE AIRFRAME THAT AT FIRST FELT LIKE LIGHT CHOP; BUT WAS TOO MECHANICAL IN NATURE; I.E. TOO CONSTANT OF FREQUENCY AND DURATION ONLY LASTED AS LONG AS L ROLL WAS APPLIED BY FO. AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE; I PULLED UP THE FLT CTL PAGE ON THE ECAM AND ASKED THE FO IF HE HAD FELT WHAT I NOTICED AND HE SAID ACKNOWLEDGED THE LIGHT CHOP; BUT I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS LIGHT CHOP AS THE RIDE SO FAR WAS VERY SMOOTH. I ASKED HIM TO START A L ROLL INPUT AGAIN AND THE AIRFRAME BUFFET BEGAN AS SOON AS HE MADE A L ROLL INPUT INTO THE STICK. AS SOON AS HE NEUTRALIZED THE STICK THE BUFFET STOPPED. I COORDINATED WITH CENTER FOR 20-30 DEG TURNS EITHER SIDE OF ASSIGNED HEADING TO FURTHER ANALYZE THE PROBLEM. EVERY L TURN INITIATED WHETHER MANUAL FLYING BY EITHER PILOT OR ON AUTOPILOT USING HDG SELECTOR RESULTED IN AN AIRFRAME BUFFET SIMILAR TO LIGHT CHOP AND WINGS LEVEL/RIGHT TURNS WAS SMOOTH. ELECTED TO RETURN FOR AN OVERWEIGHT LNDG. DURING TROUBLESHOOTING; MAINT DISCOVERED AN ERRATIC FLUTTER WITH THE R AILERON THAT YOU COULD OBSERVE ON THE FLT CTL PAGE AND VERIFIED BY A MECHANIC OUTSIDE OBSERVING THE AILERON. MAINT REPLACED THE R AILERON ACTUATOR. I HAD FO CONTINUE FLYING WHILE I CONTACTED FLT ATTENDANTS; COMPANY; DISPATCH; ATC; REVIEWED QRH OVERWEIGHT LNDG PROCS. SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD TO RETURN TO AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR A FLT CTL ISSUE. ARE FLT CTL EVENTS STARTING TO OCCUR ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS ON THE AIRBUS FLEET? HAVE MAINT PROCS CHANGED THAT MAY PRECLUDE IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS WITH FLT CTL ACTUATORS BEFORE THEY BECOME A PROBLEM? OR AM I JUST UNLUCKY?CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT A MECHANIC ON A LIFT WAS STATIONED AT THE R AILERON AND ANOTHER MECHANIC MONITORED THE ECAM FLT CONTROL MOVEMENTS IN THE FLT STATION WITH THE PILOTS. ALL FOUR PEOPLE SAW THE FLUTTER OCCUR WITH L TURN COMMANDS. THE MECHANIC AT THE AILERON REPORTED THE CONTROL SURFACE FLUTTER CONCURRENT WITH THE ECAM. THE AILERON ACTUATOR WAS CHANGED AND APPARENTLY THE FLUTTER WAS CORRECTED. A FINAL INSPECTION BY THE FOUR INDIVIDUALS REVEALED NO ECAM OR AILERON FLUTTERS. THIS REPORTER DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO FLY THIS ACFT BECAUSE OF OTHER UNRELATED MECHANICAL PROBLEMS.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.