EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Other / Unknown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Maintenance Action; General Declared Emergency
Procedure; Aircraft
During the climb after passing through FL310 the control column started to vibrate similar to the vibration of the stick shaker.  The vibration could also be felt by the Flight Attendant through the floor of the aircraft.  The vibration was very low in frequency when it first occurred then during the descent it changed to a very high frequency to the point where my hands felt very numb after landing.  We declared an emergency; applied the structural damage QRH procedure; did a phone patch with the company and air-returned.  The threat was that the control column was shaking and it was due to the elevator control surface failure.    The other threat was that the company lied to me and told me over the phone patch that they did not have any information or knowledge of this issue with this aircraft.  On the ground I found out from the Maintenance; and Engineering folks that met the aircraft that they have had this issue before with this aircraft.  Other than the structural damage QRH procedure there really is no procedure for what happened.  The Maintenance and Engineering folks that met us upon arrival; informed us that this issue has happened previously with this aircraft.  During flight when I had the phone patch to Dispatch I very specifically asked if Maintenance Control had any knowledge of this issue and at that time they lied to me and said no.  Then on the ground I find out that they did know about it.  They could have at least passed that information and that the plane didn't crash when it happened before; which would have at least lowered my stress level.
EMB145 Captain experiences control column vibration climbing through FL310.  After discussions with Maintenance an emergency is declared and the flight returns to the departure airport.  The aircraft had  a history of elevator vibrations but this information was not relayed to the crew while airborne.