Narrative:

We received a stabilizer trim inoperative light. When we ran the QRH; we found that we could not trim nose up with either yoke switch; until manually trimming. The autoplt was also unable to trim up. We repeatedly received the stabilizer trim inoperative light. After speaking with dispatch and maintenance control and reviewing the forecasted WX in ZZZ1 we decided that it was safer to proceed to ZZZ2 where the WX was VFR in case we had a complete failure of the trim system. The aircraft was difficult to trim throughout the descent and confign change for landing. We declared an emergency with ZZZ2 approach and landed safely. We also ran the inoperative trim QRH before landing. Communication with dispatch and maintenance control could have been better. We had to use ZZZ1 radio to make contact since we received no response on ground relays or through ACARS. Once speaking with dispatch it would have been helpful to speak directly with maintenance control and not through the dispatcher; as it was obvious there was some confusion on what our problem was. We asked to speak directly with maintenance control and this never happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 STAB TRIM FAILED DURING FLT. FLT CREW DECLARED EMER FOR APCH AND LNDG USING MANUAL TRIM ONLY.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED A STABILIZER TRIM INOP LIGHT. WHEN WE RAN THE QRH; WE FOUND THAT WE COULD NOT TRIM NOSE UP WITH EITHER YOKE SWITCH; UNTIL MANUALLY TRIMMING. THE AUTOPLT WAS ALSO UNABLE TO TRIM UP. WE REPEATEDLY RECEIVED THE STABILIZER TRIM INOP LIGHT. AFTER SPEAKING WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL AND REVIEWING THE FORECASTED WX IN ZZZ1 WE DECIDED THAT IT WAS SAFER TO PROCEED TO ZZZ2 WHERE THE WX WAS VFR IN CASE WE HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TRIM SYS. THE ACFT WAS DIFFICULT TO TRIM THROUGHOUT THE DSCNT AND CONFIGN CHANGE FOR LNDG. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZZZ2 APCH AND LANDED SAFELY. WE ALSO RAN THE INOP TRIM QRH BEFORE LNDG. COM WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER. WE HAD TO USE ZZZ1 RADIO TO MAKE CONTACT SINCE WE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE ON GND RELAYS OR THROUGH ACARS. ONCE SPEAKING WITH DISPATCH IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH MAINT CTL AND NOT THROUGH THE DISPATCHER; AS IT WAS OBVIOUS THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON WHAT OUR PROB WAS. WE ASKED TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH MAINT CTL AND THIS NEVER HAPPENED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.