Narrative:

Arrived at the gate for outbound flight bb to ZZZ. Had one entry already in the book by other crew. No maintenance personnel present. Log item was aircraft required 3 units of rudder trim at slow speeds and 2 units at cruise. Trim was to the left. Maintenance arrived and looked over the aircraft. After a delay, the log was signed off with nothing unusual found. I called engineer technician and XXX dispatch for a conference call to discuss the problem and the fix. The maintenance manual stated that if the problem still existed that the aircraft would have to return to a maintenance base for repair. Ord was the base chosen, that would entail a landing over maximum weight and an emergency declared to FM1 regulations. This was not known to maintenance, the chief pilot's office was called, and he told me he would back any decision I made. A call to engineer technician modification was made with XXX dispatch to give them more information. Technician modification called maintenance in ord to meet us at the aircraft and give XXX dispatch and myself a decision on the aircraft status. Maintenance said to bring the aircraft to ord if any problems occurred. We agreed and departed. No abnormal conditions were noted, XXX dispatch was called to notify ord and engineer technician. Normal flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT REQUIRED RESOLUTION OF LOG ENTRY RPTING EXCESSIVE RUDDER TRIM.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT THE GATE FOR OUTBOUND FLT BB TO ZZZ. HAD ONE ENTRY ALREADY IN THE BOOK BY OTHER CREW. NO MAINT PERSONNEL PRESENT. LOG ITEM WAS ACFT REQUIRED 3 UNITS OF RUDDER TRIM AT SLOW SPDS AND 2 UNITS AT CRUISE. TRIM WAS TO THE L. MAINT ARRIVED AND LOOKED OVER THE ACFT. AFTER A DELAY, THE LOG WAS SIGNED OFF WITH NOTHING UNUSUAL FOUND. I CALLED ENGINEER TECHNICIAN AND XXX DISPATCH FOR A CONFERENCE CALL TO DISCUSS THE PROB AND THE FIX. THE MAINT MANUAL STATED THAT IF THE PROB STILL EXISTED THAT THE ACFT WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO A MAINT BASE FOR REPAIR. ORD WAS THE BASE CHOSEN, THAT WOULD ENTAIL A LNDG OVER MAX WT AND AN EMER DECLARED TO FM1 REGS. THIS WAS NOT KNOWN TO MAINT, THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE WAS CALLED, AND HE TOLD ME HE WOULD BACK ANY DECISION I MADE. A CALL TO ENGINEER TECHNICIAN MODIFICATION WAS MADE WITH XXX DISPATCH TO GIVE THEM MORE INFO. TECHNICIAN MODIFICATION CALLED MAINT IN ORD TO MEET US AT THE ACFT AND GIVE XXX DISPATCH AND MYSELF A DECISION ON THE ACFT STATUS. MAINT SAID TO BRING THE ACFT TO ORD IF ANY PROBS OCCURRED. WE AGREED AND DEPARTED. NO ABNORMAL CONDITIONS WERE NOTED, XXX DISPATCH WAS CALLED TO NOTIFY ORD AND ENGINEER TECHNICIAN. NORMAL FLT.

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.