B737 Next Generation Undifferentiated
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 96; Flight Crew Total 8178; Flight Crew Type 8178
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
After takeoff and about 50 ft high; I heard the Yaw damper switch snapped into the off position; with a master caution flight control light on. With time permitting I ran the QRH yaw damper off checklist. When I reset the yaw damper switch back on the aircraft did a abrupt yaw to the left and the yaw damper switch snapped off again. We asked ATC for radar vectors to stay within the Airport area to work out the yaw damper problem. After talking to maintenance and dispatch about the yaw damper failure; Flight planned cruise altitude FL400; thunderstorms and rain at the destination we decided to return back to ZZZ. ATC gave us a visual approach [Runway] XX; on base leg turn 1;300 ft Tower gave us a low altitude alert. We landed safely and wrote up the Yaw Damper.
B737 First Officer reported Yaw Damper failure caused an air turnback and precautionary landing.