Gulfstream V / G500 / G550
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Procedure; Human Factors
After this flight I contacted Maintenance about writing up a LH Control Yoke being 'loose' on its shaft going into the control column. The person I spoke with at MCC said to write it up. After about 20 minutes I received a phone call from whom I believe was Mr. X in maintenance; He said he wanted to get more info about the write up. I explained that the yoke was loose on the shaft; he commented that he wondered if I could have written it up at a 'better' airport where there was a maintenance operation and this would open up a 'real can of worms' here at ZZZ and we would probably have to get Gulfstream involved on this write up. I could not believe what I was hearing. I explained that the yoke was loose on its shaft and needed to be fixed before the next takeoff. I watched the progression of the aircraft and saw that a nut was loose on the shaft and a mechanic torqued it back up to fix the problem. On another note; about 2 months ago I flew a G550 into ZZZ1 that had about 1 inch of hysteresis play on the elevator control column before desired movement was felt with the elevators. I wrote this aircraft up for this concern. The next day I received a text message from a Duty Manager stating he was curious what the 'parameters for preflight check on a control check was?' I texted back that it's freedom of movement and controls move in the proper direction which the aircraft had... THEN: I followed this write up and the maintenance personnel found a bushing laying on a cheek panel that goes into the elevator control system was not put back in when they themselves changed out elevator control cables 3 WEEKS PRIOR! (They put the bushing back into the elevator system) I believe the aircraft had about 40 flights on it since the elevator cable change. I noticed it on my first flight with the airplane. This hysteresis of this type cannot be felt with the aircraft static on the ground and the gravity on the elevators; only when the elevators get 'air loaded' does any play or slop show up in the controls. This aircraft also had an operational check flight 'signed off' after the elevator cables were changed. 1) I wonder if the mechanic that 'torqued' the nut back on the loose control yoke used a 'torque wrench' to the specified poundage in the GMM? I should not have to 'defend' my write ups with Mr. X at maintenance.(2) I think I was texted from the Duty Manager about the elevator hysteresis as he was questioning why I wrote up the airplane for this. (Same feeling from the phone call from maintenance about the control yoke issue)(3) Since 1984; I have had my Airframe [and] Powerplant mechanics license and Inspection Authorization from the FAA; have hand built over 6 homebuilt experimental aircraft myself and know a little bit about control systems. (4) Why weren't these items caught at the RII level or routine inspections?(5) Elevator systems are critical; never take them for GRANTED!   DONT LEAVE PARTS OUT OF THE ELEVATOR SYSTEM!
G550 Captain reports writing up two different aircraft for slop or play in the elevator controls on two separate occasions and receiving considerable push back from the company. The maintenance actions required to correct the slop indicate improper maintenance as the cause.