Service difficulty report · Servo · Boeing 767322

Difficulty date
November 24, 2002
Submitted
December 18, 2002
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N661UA
Make and model
Boeing 767322
Aircraft serial
27158
Aircraft time
41,838 hours, 6,891 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW4060
Part
Servo
Condition
Failed
Location
Rudder
Stage of operation
LD
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
F
Precautionary procedure
O

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

DURING CAT2 AUTOLAND, AT APPROX 20-30 FT, AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP AUTOMATICALLY, THEN AT 15 FT AUTOPILOT DISCONNECTED ITSELF. CAPTAIN TOOK OVER AND MANUALLY LANDED. THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE RT AUTOPILOT RUDDER SERVO ON THIS AIRPLANE DURING A PREVIOUS FLT. AS A RESULT, THE RT RUDDER SERVO CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED AND COLLARED AND THE AC WAS IN A CAT2 STATUS WHEN THIS EVENT OCCURRED. THE MCDP REPORTED THE AUTOPILOT DISCONNECT WAS CAUSED BY A PITCH AXIS MODE ERROR. THIS EITHER CAN BE CAUSED BY THE PILOT OVERRIDING THE PITCH SERVO, OR THE ELEVATOR SURFACE POSITION DIFFERING FROM THE ELEVATOR SERVO POSITION BY MORE THAN FOUR DEGREES. THE RT RUDDER SERVO AND RT FCC WERE REPLACED AND THE AC WAS RESTORED TO CAT3.