Narrative:

During climb, the aircraft stabilizer became jammed. Following our abnormal procedure, we freed the stuck control surface, dumped fuel, and landed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a B727-200. The reporter said, during climb, the stabilizer became inoperative in all modes. The reporter said a B757 crew, seated in first class, was asked to come forward to assist the crew. With 3 crewman on the manual trim wheel handles, the wheel moved very slowly. The reporter stated it took a lot of force on the elevators to keep the airplane trimmed. The reporter said that, after about 10 turns of the manual trim, it broke loose with a 'bang' and was free moving in all modes. The reporter aid fuel was dumped and an emergency declared with an uneventful landing. The reporter stated that on the ground the stabilizer trim operation checked normal, so, several units were removed by maintenance for evaluation. The reporter said the units removed were the jackscrew mechanism, main electric actuator, trim actuator and pedestal brake. The reporter said no definitive cause has been released by maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200, IN CLB AT 13000 FT, DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO JAMMED HORIZ STABILIZER IN MANUAL, MAIN ELECTRIC, AND TRIM MODES.

Narrative: DURING CLB, THE ACFT STABILIZER BECAME JAMMED. FOLLOWING OUR ABNORMAL PROC, WE FREED THE STUCK CTL SURFACE, DUMPED FUEL, AND LANDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B727-200. THE RPTR SAID, DURING CLB, THE STABILIZER BECAME INOP IN ALL MODES. THE RPTR SAID A B757 CREW, SEATED IN FIRST CLASS, WAS ASKED TO COME FORWARD TO ASSIST THE CREW. WITH 3 CREWMAN ON THE MANUAL TRIM WHEEL HANDLES, THE WHEEL MOVED VERY SLOWLY. THE RPTR STATED IT TOOK A LOT OF FORCE ON THE ELEVATORS TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE TRIMMED. THE RPTR SAID THAT, AFTER ABOUT 10 TURNS OF THE MANUAL TRIM, IT BROKE LOOSE WITH A 'BANG' AND WAS FREE MOVING IN ALL MODES. THE RPTR AID FUEL WAS DUMPED AND AN EMER DECLARED WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE RPTR STATED THAT ON THE GND THE STABILIZER TRIM OP CHKED NORMAL, SO, SEVERAL UNITS WERE REMOVED BY MAINT FOR EVALUATION. THE RPTR SAID THE UNITS REMOVED WERE THE JACKSCREW MECHANISM, MAIN ELECTRIC ACTUATOR, TRIM ACTUATOR AND PEDESTAL BRAKE. THE RPTR SAID NO DEFINITIVE CAUSE HAS BEEN RELEASED 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.