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A piper PA32-rg in climb at 5000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to the elevator trim system failure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 464973 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : eri.airport |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : eri.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 464973 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : testing |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
Took off from ZZZ on normal flight plan (IFR) clear day, some turbulence. Plane had difficulty leveling at 5000 ft (my cleared altitude). I turned off autoplt, and plane nosed up swiftly. I determined that the trim cable came unattached. I declared an emergency with ZZZ tower and landed plane. Mechanic fixed cable, made log entries. Normal departure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane was just out of annual inspection with 2 flts. The reporter said one flight was a 20 min test flight after the annual inspection where the stabilizer trim cable and rear trim cable bearing were replaced. The reporter stated that during the test flight the technician noted a clicking coming from the trim mechanism and made adjustments after landing. The reporter said after the trim repair the airplane was flown satisfactory for 3 hours to ZZZ and parked overnight. The reporter stated while taking off from ZZZ in the morning and on reaching 5000 ft the stabilizer trim system failed. The reporter said the local technician found the trim cable was not correctly installed and adjusted when replaced at the annual. The reporter stated the FAA asked for a statement.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PIPER PA32-RG IN CLB AT 5000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO THE ELEVATOR TRIM SYS FAILURE.
Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ ON NORMAL FLT PLAN (IFR) CLR DAY, SOME TURB. PLANE HAD DIFFICULTY LEVELING AT 5000 FT (MY CLRED ALT). I TURNED OFF AUTOPLT, AND PLANE NOSED UP SWIFTLY. I DETERMINED THAT THE TRIM CABLE CAME UNATTACHED. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZZZ TWR AND LANDED PLANE. MECH FIXED CABLE, MADE LOG ENTRIES. NORMAL DEP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS JUST OUT OF ANNUAL INSPECTION WITH 2 FLTS. THE RPTR SAID ONE FLT WAS A 20 MIN TEST FLT AFTER THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WHERE THE STABILIZER TRIM CABLE AND REAR TRIM CABLE BEARING WERE REPLACED. THE RPTR STATED THAT DURING THE TEST FLT THE TECHNICIAN NOTED A CLICKING COMING FROM THE TRIM MECHANISM AND MADE ADJUSTMENTS AFTER LNDG. THE RPTR SAID AFTER THE TRIM REPAIR THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN SATISFACTORY FOR 3 HRS TO ZZZ AND PARKED OVERNIGHT. THE RPTR STATED WHILE TAKING OFF FROM ZZZ IN THE MORNING AND ON REACHING 5000 FT THE STABILIZER TRIM SYS FAILED. THE RPTR SAID THE LCL TECHNICIAN FOUND THE TRIM CABLE WAS NOT CORRECTLY INSTALLED AND ADJUSTED WHEN REPLACED AT THE ANNUAL. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA ASKED FOR A STATEMENT.
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.