Narrative:

Elevator trim unresponsive. Shut off autoplt, reduced power and utilized standby elevator trim. This is the second time in less than 5 yrs with the same basic problem on same aircraft type. Suspect water and/or deicing fluid froze in tail section. The pilots of a dash 8 declared an emergency for a pitch trim malfunction and returned to land at buffalo, new york. While on autoplt, the display for the flight guidance computer displayed a mistrim warning. The pilots reported that the autoplt was disengaged and that the manual trim wheel was fixed in one position. The electric standby trim operated normally, and the airplane landed at XA38. Preliminary information indicated the elevator was useable within the trimmed range and that the crew did not need to use the pitch disconnect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DHC8 FLC EXPERIENCES A FROZEN ELEVATOR TRIM SYS. THEY DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT AND, USING STANDBY ELECTRIC TRIM, THEY RETURNED AND LANDED AT BUF, NY.

Narrative: ELEVATOR TRIM UNRESPONSIVE. SHUT OFF AUTOPLT, REDUCED PWR AND UTILIZED STANDBY ELEVATOR TRIM. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN 5 YRS WITH THE SAME BASIC PROB ON SAME ACFT TYPE. SUSPECT WATER AND/OR DEICING FLUID FROZE IN TAIL SECTION. THE PLTS OF A DASH 8 DECLARED AN EMER FOR A PITCH TRIM MALFUNCTION AND RETURNED TO LAND AT BUFFALO, NEW YORK. WHILE ON AUTOPLT, THE DISPLAY FOR THE FLT GUIDANCE COMPUTER DISPLAYED A MISTRIM WARNING. THE PLTS RPTED THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS DISENGAGED AND THAT THE MANUAL TRIM WHEEL WAS FIXED IN ONE POS. THE ELECTRIC STANDBY TRIM OPERATED NORMALLY, AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED AT XA38. PRELIMINARY INFO INDICATED THE ELEVATOR WAS USEABLE WITHIN THE TRIMMED RANGE AND THAT THE CREW DID NOT NEED TO USE THE PITCH DISCONNECT.

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.