A DHC8 flight crew experiences a frozen elevator trim system. They disconnect the autoplt and, using standby electric trim, they returned and landed at buf, ny.

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Attributes
ACN	462376
Time
Date	200001
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : buf.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	462376
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : flt buid. comp
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : overrode automation other
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Environmental Factor Weather
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

Elevator trim unresponsive. Shut off autoplt, reduced power and utilized standby elevator trim. This is the second time in less than 5 yrs with the same basic problem on same aircraft type. Suspect water and/or deicing fluid froze in tail section. The pilots of a dash 8 declared an emergency for a pitch trim malfunction and returned to land at buffalo, new york. While on autoplt, the display for the flight guidance computer displayed a mistrim warning. The pilots reported that the autoplt was disengaged and that the manual trim wheel was fixed in one position. The electric standby trim operated normally, and the airplane landed at XA38. Preliminary information indicated the elevator was useable within the trimmed range and that the crew did not need to use the pitch disconnect.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DHC8 FLC EXPERIENCES A FROZEN ELEVATOR TRIM SYS. THEY DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT AND, USING STANDBY ELECTRIC TRIM, THEY RETURNED AND LANDED AT BUF, NY.

Narrative: ELEVATOR TRIM UNRESPONSIVE. SHUT OFF AUTOPLT, REDUCED PWR AND UTILIZED STANDBY ELEVATOR TRIM. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN 5 YRS WITH THE SAME BASIC PROB ON SAME ACFT TYPE. SUSPECT WATER AND/OR DEICING FLUID FROZE IN TAIL SECTION. THE PLTS OF A DASH 8 DECLARED AN EMER FOR A PITCH TRIM MALFUNCTION AND RETURNED TO LAND AT BUFFALO, NEW YORK. WHILE ON AUTOPLT, THE DISPLAY FOR THE FLT GUIDANCE COMPUTER DISPLAYED A MISTRIM WARNING. THE PLTS RPTED THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS DISENGAGED AND THAT THE MANUAL TRIM WHEEL WAS FIXED IN ONE POS. THE ELECTRIC STANDBY TRIM OPERATED NORMALLY, AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED AT XA38. PRELIMINARY INFO INDICATED THE ELEVATOR WAS USEABLE WITHIN THE TRIMMED RANGE AND THAT THE CREW DID NOT NEED TO USE THE PITCH DISCONNECT.

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.