Stabilizer trim not operating properly. Although it works, it seems to stick and be sluggish.

Attributes
ACN	305763
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gso
State Reference	NC
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	305763
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Climbing out of clt, stabilizer trim began binding and making loud noises. Level off was difficult, with possible slight altitude deviation. To complicate matters, deviations around convective activity was necessary. With no apparent fix, decision was made to land at gso. Flight attendants and passenger were informed and precautionary landing made without incident. ATC handling was excellent. Conversations with ATC controllers on phone afterwards revealed no altdevs, and all were happy to help. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter was called to see if this report involved any loss of control for the 'upset' study. Reporter felt that aircraft was in full control of him at all times. This abnormality was encountered by the first officer who was flying the aircraft. The captain took control to compare analysis of what was happening. Aircraft flew smoothly and responded to all control inputs, except the trim was sluggish for the first part of the flight. Everything else was normal for the flight. Nothing unusual happened in the controllability of the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STABILIZER TRIM NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. ALTHOUGH IT WORKS, IT SEEMS TO STICK AND BE SLUGGISH.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF CLT, STABILIZER TRIM BEGAN BINDING AND MAKING LOUD NOISES. LEVEL OFF WAS DIFFICULT, WITH POSSIBLE SLIGHT ALTDEV. TO COMPLICATE MATTERS, DEVS AROUND CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS NECESSARY. WITH NO APPARENT FIX, DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT GSO. FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WERE INFORMED AND PRECAUTIONARY LNDG MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. ATC HANDLING WAS EXCELLENT. CONVERSATIONS WITH ATC CTLRS ON PHONE AFTERWARDS REVEALED NO ALTDEVS, AND ALL WERE HAPPY TO HELP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR WAS CALLED TO SEE IF THIS RPT INVOLVED ANY LOSS OF CTL FOR THE 'UPSET' STUDY. RPTR FELT THAT ACFT WAS IN FULL CTL OF HIM AT ALL TIMES. THIS ABNORMALITY WAS ENCOUNTERED BY THE FO WHO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. THE CAPT TOOK CTL TO COMPARE ANALYSIS OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. ACFT FLEW SMOOTHLY AND RESPONDED TO ALL CTL INPUTS, EXCEPT THE TRIM WAS SLUGGISH FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE FLT. EVERYTHING ELSE WAS NORMAL FOR THE FLT. NOTHING UNUSUAL HAPPENED IN THE CONTROLLABILITY OF THE ACFT.

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.