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Captain of a dehavilland dash 8 noticed an abnormal amount of nose-down elevator trim during takeoff and initial climb out. Postflt inspection revealed that the elevator rubber stops were broken and there was a small elevator fairing bent up due to contact by the rudder.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 466468 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lga.airport |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff climbout : initial ground : taxi ground : parked ground : position and hold |
| 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 : 240 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 466468 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1400 |
| ASRS Report | 466469 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe ground encounters other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : elevator trim ctl other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Rubber stops on elevator had broken and rudder bent a small part of the elevator section at some point after preflight was done. Winds were gusting to 32 KTS and could have caused the stops to break off allowing the elevator to go beyond its normal limits. The takeoff was normal until I began to accelerate to 150 KTS and noticed a small amount of forward pressure and never changed. Log was normal except for the nose-down trim. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the NTSB and FAA investigated this incident and have not advised their findings. The company maintenance found that with the elevator stops broken, it permitted the rudder to strike the elevator when the trailing edge of the elevator was in the down position. Reporter stated that the elevator trim was not out of its limits and that the amount of elevator trim seemed consistent with aft compartment baggage movement rearward which sometimes happens during takeoff and an initial high angle climb out.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF A DEHAVILLAND DASH 8 NOTICED AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF NOSE-DOWN ELEVATOR TRIM DURING TKOF AND INITIAL CLBOUT. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE ELEVATOR RUBBER STOPS WERE BROKEN AND THERE WAS A SMALL ELEVATOR FAIRING BENT UP DUE TO CONTACT BY THE RUDDER.
Narrative: RUBBER STOPS ON ELEVATOR HAD BROKEN AND RUDDER BENT A SMALL PART OF THE ELEVATOR SECTION AT SOME POINT AFTER PREFLT WAS DONE. WINDS WERE GUSTING TO 32 KTS AND COULD HAVE CAUSED THE STOPS TO BREAK OFF ALLOWING THE ELEVATOR TO GO BEYOND ITS NORMAL LIMITS. THE TKOF WAS NORMAL UNTIL I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE TO 150 KTS AND NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF FORWARD PRESSURE AND NEVER CHANGED. LOG WAS NORMAL EXCEPT FOR THE NOSE-DOWN TRIM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE NTSB AND FAA INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT AND HAVE NOT ADVISED THEIR FINDINGS. THE COMPANY MAINT FOUND THAT WITH THE ELEVATOR STOPS BROKEN, IT PERMITTED THE RUDDER TO STRIKE THE ELEVATOR WHEN THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE ELEVATOR WAS IN THE DOWN POS. RPTR STATED THAT THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS NOT OUT OF ITS LIMITS AND THAT THE AMOUNT OF ELEVATOR TRIM SEEMED CONSISTENT WITH AFT COMPARTMENT BAGGAGE MOVEMENT REARWARD WHICH SOMETIMES HAPPENS DURING TKOF AND AN INITIAL HIGH ANGLE CLBOUT.
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.