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Aircraft equipment problem, pilot lost the main elevator trim at leveloff and had difficulty maintaining his assigned altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 302552 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199504 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lit |
| State Reference | AR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lit tower : dsm |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Learjet 24 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 302552 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was picking up the lear 24 from maintenance, did a complete preflight, following checklist, startup, taxi, takeoff. On leveling at 4000 ft had no pitch trim. It was very difficult to maintain altitude due to a tendency to pitch up, due to this I canceled IFR, attempted to maintain altitude, and ran checklist for emergency trim. Upon recycling circuit breakers, pitch trim was reestablished. Until this time, I could only maintain altitude by reducing power/airspeed, and using a large physical exertion on the controls. This was a very anxious moment, but I feel it was handled properly. I did attempt to communicate the trim problem to departure, but I do not believe it was acknowledged.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB, PLT LOST THE MAIN ELEVATOR TRIM AT LEVELOFF AND HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING HIS ASSIGNED ALT.
Narrative: I WAS PICKING UP THE LEAR 24 FROM MAINT, DID A COMPLETE PREFLT, FOLLOWING CHKLIST, STARTUP, TAXI, TKOF. ON LEVELING AT 4000 FT HAD NO PITCH TRIM. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN ALT DUE TO A TENDENCY TO PITCH UP, DUE TO THIS I CANCELED IFR, ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN ALT, AND RAN CHKLIST FOR EMER TRIM. UPON RECYCLING CIRCUIT BREAKERS, PITCH TRIM WAS REESTABLISHED. UNTIL THIS TIME, I COULD ONLY MAINTAIN ALT BY REDUCING PWR/AIRSPD, AND USING A LARGE PHYSICAL EXERTION ON THE CTLS. THIS WAS A VERY ANXIOUS MOMENT, BUT I FEEL IT WAS HANDLED PROPERLY. I DID ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE THE TRIM PROB TO DEP, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED.
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.