Narrative:

In an air ambulance flight to shr, we arrived from den in WX of approximately 3000' and 20 mi visibility with reported snow showers in mountains west of shr. During the time spent picking up the patient at the airport (approximately 1.5 hours) the FSS closed and the WX deteriorated, by my observations at the hospital, to 1000' sky obscured with light rain becoming mixed with snow and visibility decreased to around 1 mi. I am not a certified observer. Concerned about freezing precipitation building up on our aircraft, I made several trips to the hospital parking lot and noted no freezing buildup on the cars. All I saw was water beading up on the cars and the temperature was around 40 degrees. Upon arrival at the airport I observed the same conditions on our aircraft, beading water on all upper surfaces. I wiped my hand across the wing and noted only water running, with no freezing occurring. The aircraft looked as if it had just been washed and had a thick sheet of water all over it. Since no icing was observed, I did not consider this to be a hazardous condition. Taxi was normal with controls free and correct and we completed a normal takeoff on runway 13. Per IFR departure procedures, I made a left turn to fly direct to the shr VOR. While still in a climb to the VOR, I leveled the wings and applied some nose down trim. At that time the pitch of the aircraft started to increase through 20 degrees and the airspeed was decreasing through 120 KTS. I then tried to push in on the elevator and found it stuck in the climb position. I pushed hard and the elevator broke loose and stuck in the new position I had pushed it to. This push-unstick-push-unstick cycle continued for the rest of the climb to FL230. Tops were FL220. At cruise I found the jamming to decrease and had the confidence to continue on to den. No emergency was declared and center was not advised of the problem. Landing in den I picked up light mixed icing, which I lost before touching down. Mechanic inspected the aircraft 15 mins after landing and found ice on the leading edge of the elevator, in the gap between elevator and horizontal stabilizer. Thickness of ice was approximately 1/8' noted 15 mins after landing at den with temperature of 40 degrees. No other ice was noted on aircraft. I believe that the water seen in shr froze in the gap along the elevator and caused the elevator to stick. The trim was also very stiff and the icing in the gap probably interfered with the trim tab actuator. I don't know why the water would not have run off during takeoff, as it was not sticking to the aircraft. This could have been an accident when the investigators determined me to lose control of the aircraft while maneuvering after takeoff. Preventive measures will now include removing water from upper surfaces in similar WX where the freezing level in close to the surface. After 10 yrs of boring flying, I have now had my moment of start terror.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX EMS PLT LOSES CTL OF PITCH ON SMT IN CLIMB OUT DURING POOR TERMINAL AREA WX.

Narrative: IN AN AIR AMBULANCE FLT TO SHR, WE ARRIVED FROM DEN IN WX OF APPROX 3000' AND 20 MI VISIBILITY WITH RPTED SNOW SHOWERS IN MOUNTAINS W OF SHR. DURING THE TIME SPENT PICKING UP THE PATIENT AT THE ARPT (APPROX 1.5 HRS) THE FSS CLOSED AND THE WX DETERIORATED, BY MY OBSERVATIONS AT THE HOSPITAL, TO 1000' SKY OBSCURED WITH LIGHT RAIN BECOMING MIXED WITH SNOW AND VISIBILITY DECREASED TO AROUND 1 MI. I AM NOT A CERTIFIED OBSERVER. CONCERNED ABOUT FREEZING PRECIPITATION BUILDING UP ON OUR ACFT, I MADE SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE HOSPITAL PARKING LOT AND NOTED NO FREEZING BUILDUP ON THE CARS. ALL I SAW WAS WATER BEADING UP ON THE CARS AND THE TEMP WAS AROUND 40 DEGS. UPON ARR AT THE ARPT I OBSERVED THE SAME CONDITIONS ON OUR ACFT, BEADING WATER ON ALL UPPER SURFACES. I WIPED MY HAND ACROSS THE WING AND NOTED ONLY WATER RUNNING, WITH NO FREEZING OCCURRING. THE ACFT LOOKED AS IF IT HAD JUST BEEN WASHED AND HAD A THICK SHEET OF WATER ALL OVER IT. SINCE NO ICING WAS OBSERVED, I DID NOT CONSIDER THIS TO BE A HAZARDOUS CONDITION. TAXI WAS NORMAL WITH CTLS FREE AND CORRECT AND WE COMPLETED A NORMAL TKOF ON RWY 13. PER IFR DEP PROCS, I MADE A LEFT TURN TO FLY DIRECT TO THE SHR VOR. WHILE STILL IN A CLB TO THE VOR, I LEVELED THE WINGS AND APPLIED SOME NOSE DOWN TRIM. AT THAT TIME THE PITCH OF THE ACFT STARTED TO INCREASE THROUGH 20 DEGS AND THE AIRSPD WAS DECREASING THROUGH 120 KTS. I THEN TRIED TO PUSH IN ON THE ELEVATOR AND FOUND IT STUCK IN THE CLB POS. I PUSHED HARD AND THE ELEVATOR BROKE LOOSE AND STUCK IN THE NEW POS I HAD PUSHED IT TO. THIS PUSH-UNSTICK-PUSH-UNSTICK CYCLE CONTINUED FOR THE REST OF THE CLB TO FL230. TOPS WERE FL220. AT CRUISE I FOUND THE JAMMING TO DECREASE AND HAD THE CONFIDENCE TO CONTINUE ON TO DEN. NO EMER WAS DECLARED AND CENTER WAS NOT ADVISED OF THE PROB. LNDG IN DEN I PICKED UP LIGHT MIXED ICING, WHICH I LOST BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN. MECH INSPECTED THE ACFT 15 MINS AFTER LNDG AND FOUND ICE ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE ELEVATOR, IN THE GAP BTWN ELEVATOR AND HORIZ STABILIZER. THICKNESS OF ICE WAS APPROX 1/8' NOTED 15 MINS AFTER LNDG AT DEN WITH TEMP OF 40 DEGS. NO OTHER ICE WAS NOTED ON ACFT. I BELIEVE THAT THE WATER SEEN IN SHR FROZE IN THE GAP ALONG THE ELEVATOR AND CAUSED THE ELEVATOR TO STICK. THE TRIM WAS ALSO VERY STIFF AND THE ICING IN THE GAP PROBABLY INTERFERED WITH THE TRIM TAB ACTUATOR. I DON'T KNOW WHY THE WATER WOULD NOT HAVE RUN OFF DURING TKOF, AS IT WAS NOT STICKING TO THE ACFT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED ME TO LOSE CTL OF THE ACFT WHILE MANEUVERING AFTER TKOF. PREVENTIVE MEASURES WILL NOW INCLUDE REMOVING WATER FROM UPPER SURFACES IN SIMILAR WX WHERE THE FREEZING LEVEL IN CLOSE TO THE SURFACE. AFTER 10 YRS OF BORING FLYING, I HAVE NOW HAD MY MOMENT OF START TERROR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.