C172 pilot found a jammed elevator trim system on his aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	533853
Time
Date	200112
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	NH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	533853
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : non availability of parts performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Frozen grease on elevator trim control. Spindle during climb out after takeoff (cessna 172R) necessitated descent to low altitude to thaw out so aircraft trim control could be regained.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT FOUND A JAMMED ELEVATOR TRIM SYS ON HIS ACFT.

Narrative: FROZEN GREASE ON ELEVATOR TRIM CTL. SPINDLE DURING CLBOUT AFTER TKOF (CESSNA 172R) NECESSITATED DSCNT TO LOW ALT TO THAW OUT SO ACFT TRIM CTL COULD BE REGAINED.

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.