Narrative:

Found alternate trim (nose down) inoperative on preflight in sjc. Our maintenance deferred the item as flyable. I briefly glanced at maintenance procedures paragraph in MEL/cdl book, read carefully 'crew procedures' and flew aircraft sjc-san-rno. Rno maintenance then grounded the aircraft and said it was unflyable without alternate trim. Corrective action: always read (very thoroughly) all parts of MEL/cdl book before accepting maintenance signoff that an aircraft is flyable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD83 ALTERNATE NOSEDOWN TRIM WAS INOP. MAINT DEFERRED THE ITEM AS FLYABLE. FLC BRIEFLY CHKED THE MEL-CDL BOOK AND FLEW THE ACFT SJC-SAN-RNO. RNO MAINT GNDED THE ACFT AND SAID IT WAS UNFLYABLE WITHOUT ALTERNATE TRIM.

Narrative: FOUND ALTERNATE TRIM (NOSE DOWN) INOP ON PREFLT IN SJC. OUR MAINT DEFERRED THE ITEM AS FLYABLE. I BRIEFLY GLANCED AT MAINT PROCS PARAGRAPH IN MEL/CDL BOOK, READ CAREFULLY 'CREW PROCS' AND FLEW ACFT SJC-SAN-RNO. RNO MAINT THEN GNDED THE ACFT AND SAID IT WAS UNFLYABLE WITHOUT ALTERNATE TRIM. CORRECTIVE ACTION: ALWAYS READ (VERY THOROUGHLY) ALL PARTS OF MEL/CDL BOOK BEFORE ACCEPTING MAINT SIGNOFF THAT AN ACFT IS FLYABLE.

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.