Narrative:

Received an annual inspection at ZZZ from FBO during the prior week. Over $3700 of inspection/repairs were done. As PIC I realize that I'm responsible for giving the aircraft a very thorough preflight inspection after an annual. A lot of parts were taken off and put back on. Since this was my first annual as an aircraft owner I was not sure what to expect. So I got my checklist out and looked over every inch of the aircraft, including getting on my hands and knees to look under the aircraft. As I worked my way around to the stabilator I very casually took note that the stabilator trim seemed a little odd. It looked to be trimmed too far one direction even though the setting in the cabin looked like it was set to neutral. However, I did not explore it further. I finished the preflight and started the aircraft. I taxied to the end of the taxiway and did my run-up. Everything looked great. I announced my departure on the CTAF and taxied into position. Standing on the brakes, I pwred up to takeoff power and verified everything in the green. I let go of the brakes and began my takeoff. As I was rolling down the runway, I scanned the engine instruments to be sure everything was normal. As I approached rotation speed I noticed that I was already 10 ft off of the ground. This is very unusual since the aircraft usually needs a firm tug on the yoke to get it off the ground. I began climbing like a rocket and my first thought was, 'wow, they really tuned this baby up.' but I realized that the trim was set to a maximum nose up setting even though the indicator was just off of neutral (normal takeoff setting). It was nearly impossible to push down on the yoke so I began to trim as fast as I could to avoid a potential stall. I am glad that the arrow does not stall easily. I got the aircraft under control and flew home without any further incident. After talking to FBO, I believe the mechanic took the cover off of the trim and failed to put it back properly and bent the rudimentary wire indicator. They fixed the problem at a later date. As PIC, it is very important to question every oddity no matter how small.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA28 WAS RELEASED FOR SVC AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WITH THE STABILIZER TRIM INDICATION AT ZERO AND THE STABILIZER AT FULL NOSE UP.

Narrative: RECEIVED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AT ZZZ FROM FBO DURING THE PRIOR WEEK. OVER $3700 OF INSPECTION/REPAIRS WERE DONE. AS PIC I REALIZE THAT I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR GIVING THE ACFT A VERY THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION AFTER AN ANNUAL. A LOT OF PARTS WERE TAKEN OFF AND PUT BACK ON. SINCE THIS WAS MY FIRST ANNUAL AS AN ACFT OWNER I WAS NOT SURE WHAT TO EXPECT. SO I GOT MY CHKLIST OUT AND LOOKED OVER EVERY INCH OF THE ACFT, INCLUDING GETTING ON MY HANDS AND KNEES TO LOOK UNDER THE ACFT. AS I WORKED MY WAY AROUND TO THE STABILATOR I VERY CASUALLY TOOK NOTE THAT THE STABILATOR TRIM SEEMED A LITTLE ODD. IT LOOKED TO BE TRIMMED TOO FAR ONE DIRECTION EVEN THOUGH THE SETTING IN THE CABIN LOOKED LIKE IT WAS SET TO NEUTRAL. HOWEVER, I DID NOT EXPLORE IT FURTHER. I FINISHED THE PREFLT AND STARTED THE ACFT. I TAXIED TO THE END OF THE TXWY AND DID MY RUN-UP. EVERYTHING LOOKED GREAT. I ANNOUNCED MY DEP ON THE CTAF AND TAXIED INTO POS. STANDING ON THE BRAKES, I PWRED UP TO TKOF PWR AND VERIFIED EVERYTHING IN THE GREEN. I LET GO OF THE BRAKES AND BEGAN MY TKOF. AS I WAS ROLLING DOWN THE RWY, I SCANNED THE ENG INSTS TO BE SURE EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. AS I APCHED ROTATION SPD I NOTICED THAT I WAS ALREADY 10 FT OFF OF THE GND. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL SINCE THE ACFT USUALLY NEEDS A FIRM TUG ON THE YOKE TO GET IT OFF THE GND. I BEGAN CLBING LIKE A ROCKET AND MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, 'WOW, THEY REALLY TUNED THIS BABY UP.' BUT I REALIZED THAT THE TRIM WAS SET TO A MAX NOSE UP SETTING EVEN THOUGH THE INDICATOR WAS JUST OFF OF NEUTRAL (NORMAL TKOF SETTING). IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PUSH DOWN ON THE YOKE SO I BEGAN TO TRIM AS FAST AS I COULD TO AVOID A POTENTIAL STALL. I AM GLAD THAT THE ARROW DOES NOT STALL EASILY. I GOT THE ACFT UNDER CTL AND FLEW HOME WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER TALKING TO FBO, I BELIEVE THE MECH TOOK THE COVER OFF OF THE TRIM AND FAILED TO PUT IT BACK PROPERLY AND BENT THE RUDIMENTARY WIRE INDICATOR. THEY FIXED THE PROB AT A LATER DATE. AS PIC, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO QUESTION EVERY ODDITY NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

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.