Narrative:

We were vectored for visual approach to runway 30R in msp. On descent out of around 12000 ft, the autoplt malfunctioned. After troubleshooting, elected to hand fly. Flight director also failed. In vicinity of wolvs intersection on eau claire 3 arrival, ATC changed runways and PNF reset FMC. Flight plan dropped out for some reason, and I flew using secondary flight plan. PNF was busy setting up routing and approach into FMC. Prior to intercepting final, aircraft flight controls began getting sluggish. ATC assigned us 170 KTS and we had visual and were cleared visual approach runway 12L. Controls were getting heavy and not responding to trim. Advised ATC we needed to maintain speed 200 KTS. This speed, and with control problem, limited our rate of turn. This caused us to overshoot final. ATC pointed out traffic on parallel. We had traffic in sight and maintained visual. Meanwhile, both stabilizer trims failed. Reset both and aircraft flew normal. We did not receive a TCASII advisory, but our traffic said they had a TCASII alert. Lateral separation on traffic never compromised safety. Approach did not believe safety was compromised either. Landed without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot stated that other crews had said this aircraft has had this problem before. The pilot felt that the lateral controls may have been normal, but he was having to pull on the wheel so hard that everything seemed stiff. The crew observed both #1 and #2 hydraulic trim fail lights illuminated, indicating a problem with the stabilizer trim system. The out of trim condition caused the autoplt and flight director dropoff. The crew reset the push-to-reset lights, and operation returned to normal. Maintenance indicated that there was icing in the tail that affected some component.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FK10 CREW HAD MULTIPLE EQUIP FAILURES, AND ACFT FMC PROGRAMMING PROBS. THEY HAD AN NMAC WITH ACFT ON PARALLEL APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE VECTORED FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 30R IN MSP. ON DSCNT OUT OF AROUND 12000 FT, THE AUTOPLT MALFUNCTIONED. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, ELECTED TO HAND FLY. FLT DIRECTOR ALSO FAILED. IN VICINITY OF WOLVS INTXN ON EAU CLAIRE 3 ARR, ATC CHANGED RWYS AND PNF RESET FMC. FLT PLAN DROPPED OUT FOR SOME REASON, AND I FLEW USING SECONDARY FLT PLAN. PNF WAS BUSY SETTING UP ROUTING AND APCH INTO FMC. PRIOR TO INTERCEPTING FINAL, ACFT FLT CTLS BEGAN GETTING SLUGGISH. ATC ASSIGNED US 170 KTS AND WE HAD VISUAL AND WERE CLRED VISUAL APCH RWY 12L. CTLS WERE GETTING HVY AND NOT RESPONDING TO TRIM. ADVISED ATC WE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN SPD 200 KTS. THIS SPD, AND WITH CTL PROB, LIMITED OUR RATE OF TURN. THIS CAUSED US TO OVERSHOOT FINAL. ATC POINTED OUT TFC ON PARALLEL. WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT AND MAINTAINED VISUAL. MEANWHILE, BOTH STABILIZER TRIMS FAILED. RESET BOTH AND ACFT FLEW NORMAL. WE DID NOT RECEIVE A TCASII ADVISORY, BUT OUR TFC SAID THEY HAD A TCASII ALERT. LATERAL SEPARATION ON TFC NEVER COMPROMISED SAFETY. APCH DID NOT BELIEVE SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED EITHER. LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT STATED THAT OTHER CREWS HAD SAID THIS ACFT HAS HAD THIS PROB BEFORE. THE PLT FELT THAT THE LATERAL CTLS MAY HAVE BEEN NORMAL, BUT HE WAS HAVING TO PULL ON THE WHEEL SO HARD THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED STIFF. THE CREW OBSERVED BOTH #1 AND #2 HYD TRIM FAIL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A PROB WITH THE STABILIZER TRIM SYS. THE OUT OF TRIM CONDITION CAUSED THE AUTOPLT AND FLT DIRECTOR DROPOFF. THE CREW RESET THE PUSH-TO-RESET LIGHTS, AND OP RETURNED TO NORMAL. MAINT INDICATED THAT THERE WAS ICING IN THE TAIL THAT AFFECTED SOME COMPONENT.

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.