Date: 202110
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.TRACON, US
Flight conditions: IMC
Aircraft: Cessna 402/402C/B379 Businessliner/Utiliner
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Ferry / Re-Positioning
Flight phase: Climb
ATC / advisory: TRACON ZZZ
Aircraft component: Aeroplane Flight Control
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Human factors: Workload; Troubleshooting; Communication Breakdown; Human-Machine Interface
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: I took off from ZZZ on a reposition flight to ZZZ1. At 900 ft. I turned the autopilot on with the master switch. At no point during the event did I ever engage the autopilot by selecting a mode. The 'ready' annunciation turned on and then it turned off. At the time I was flying runway heading. Approach then gave me a right hand turn at which time I noticed the turn coordinator had frozen and was not turning with me. It had previously worked fine on the ground. I decided to return to ZZZ. Approach gave me another right hand turn and that is when the aircraft controls became very stiff. It was difficult to turn the aircraft and even more difficult to hold altitude. After I leveled out in that turn; approach attempted to make a radio call that was very broken up and I asked her standby. She then informed me I was almost completely unreadable but when I asked her standby a second time she heard me a little better. I recycled the autopilot master switch and it once again showed ready and then the ready disappeared. I turned the autopilot master switch back off and pressed the red autopilot disconnected button but nothing changed. I then leaned over to try to pull the circuit breaker. After a few moments of not being able to pull the circuit breaker; I still couldn't get it. At this time I requested priority handling. I said if [I] could get out of IFR I would like to [have] the Approach Controller turned me again to more of a downwind leg for Runway XX. Another aircraft called and said they had the field in sight at 2000 ft. and 5 miles from the runway. I told Approach to send me there. She gave me a small turn and descended me to 2;000 ft. When I made it to 2;000 ft.; I checked the trim to see if moving forward and back would alleviate the problem. I moved it backwards (towards nose up) and everything with the trim seemed to be working properly but have no affect on the controls stiffness. I pushed the trim wheel forward and then back to level flight. At this time; the aircraft had started a small descent which the VSI also showed but the attitude indicator showed a 10 degree nose pitch up. After returning the aircraft to level; I noted the attitude indicator was becoming sluggish and not matching the movements of the aircraft as quickly as it normally does. The stiffness of the controls wanted the aircraft to pitch nose down and made it difficult to turn; however when I got to just outside the final approach fix flying in the opposite direction; I was still unable to see the runway so I had to shoot the ILS Runway XX into ZZZ. The only reduction in stiffness came when I pulled the power for in range and it lessened the pull I was having to put on the yoke to maintain altitude and heading. All engine gauges including the suction gauge were normal throughout the event. I was met at the hangar after landing by the Airport Support Personnel and [other] airport personnel. I wrote up the aircraft afterwards and discussed everything that happened per [each] instrument with the Mechanic so he could have a better picture of the situation.




Synopsis: Air Carrier Captain reported a flight control malfunction shorty after takeoff which cause the flight controls to be extremely stiff. Captain was able to overcome the stiff controls to complete a safe landing.