Narrative:

During climb and leveloff at altitude, autoplt showed out of trim situation and failed. It was determined, after several aircraft oscillations from 1000 FPM climb to 4000 FPM climb then level at FL350 +/-100 ft with vsi fluctuating, that the aircraft elevators were not functioning. The aircraft pitch was only being controled by the trim. After some difficulty, we were able to fly the aircraft straight and level using the alternate trim, which runs at a slower rate than the primary trim. Determined possible cause was ice buildup and elevator control cable in tail section of aircraft. Started APU and ran airfoil anti-ice to try to warm tail section. Evaluated airports for emergency landing with no elevator control within fuel limits based on temperature at surface and freezing levels and crosswind components and runway lengths. Airports included buf, cle, cvg, ind, iiu, dtw, grr, mke. (Note: east coast WX gusty winds and heavy rain -- they were not good considerations. Flight departed ewr en route to mke.) after evaluating WX, it was determined mke was the best due to a freezing level of 7000 ft, and surface temperatures +4 degrees C, light winds from north, down runway 1L. Started descent over fnt to get into warmer air. At 7800 ft with ram air temperature -1 degree C, 40 NM east of mke, elevator control was re-established as available. Landed without incident. The NTSB and FAA have been notified! Ice accumulation was found in tail section of aircraft by maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-15 ON LEVELOFF AT FL350 HAD ELEVATOR AND ELEVATOR PITCH TRIM FAILURE CAUSED BY ELEVATOR CABLE ICING.

Narrative: DURING CLB AND LEVELOFF AT ALT, AUTOPLT SHOWED OUT OF TRIM SIT AND FAILED. IT WAS DETERMINED, AFTER SEVERAL ACFT OSCILLATIONS FROM 1000 FPM CLB TO 4000 FPM CLB THEN LEVEL AT FL350 +/-100 FT WITH VSI FLUCTUATING, THAT THE ACFT ELEVATORS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. THE ACFT PITCH WAS ONLY BEING CTLED BY THE TRIM. AFTER SOME DIFFICULTY, WE WERE ABLE TO FLY THE ACFT STRAIGHT AND LEVEL USING THE ALTERNATE TRIM, WHICH RUNS AT A SLOWER RATE THAN THE PRIMARY TRIM. DETERMINED POSSIBLE CAUSE WAS ICE BUILDUP AND ELEVATOR CTL CABLE IN TAIL SECTION OF ACFT. STARTED APU AND RAN AIRFOIL ANTI-ICE TO TRY TO WARM TAIL SECTION. EVALUATED ARPTS FOR EMER LNDG WITH NO ELEVATOR CTL WITHIN FUEL LIMITS BASED ON TEMP AT SURFACE AND FREEZING LEVELS AND XWIND COMPONENTS AND RWY LENGTHS. ARPTS INCLUDED BUF, CLE, CVG, IND, IIU, DTW, GRR, MKE. (NOTE: EAST COAST WX GUSTY WINDS AND HVY RAIN -- THEY WERE NOT GOOD CONSIDERATIONS. FLT DEPARTED EWR ENRTE TO MKE.) AFTER EVALUATING WX, IT WAS DETERMINED MKE WAS THE BEST DUE TO A FREEZING LEVEL OF 7000 FT, AND SURFACE TEMPS +4 DEGS C, LIGHT WINDS FROM N, DOWN RWY 1L. STARTED DSCNT OVER FNT TO GET INTO WARMER AIR. AT 7800 FT WITH RAM AIR TEMP -1 DEG C, 40 NM E OF MKE, ELEVATOR CTL WAS RE-ESTABLISHED AS AVAILABLE. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE NTSB AND FAA HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED! ICE ACCUMULATION WAS FOUND IN TAIL SECTION OF ACFT BY MAINT.

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.