Narrative:

I (quality assurance inspector for air carrier X) am reporting the incidents of 04/tue/02 (night shift). Myself and the lead mechanic on shift that night performed a range of movement check on a newly installed r-hand elevator on jetstream 4100. The check calls for a range of movement on both the elevator and elevator trim tab. We performed the check by him doing the task and myself inspecting his readings on the protractor, making sure they match what the maintenance manual has. Everything checked good for the r-hand elevator and elevator tab. We also checked the l-hand elevator and elevator trim tab to make sure they had the correct reading on the protractor. They also checked good. So after all maintenance was performed, I released the aircraft for a maintenance flight. The aircraft flew its maintenance flight for the characteristics of the flight control, the aircraft landed, no defects noted, maintenance flight satisfactory. So the aircraft was then released by day shift for service sometime before XA00. The aircraft flew passenger to ZZZ1 where upon landing experienced limited trim for nose down operation, but landed the aircraft safely (no in-flight emergency was declared). The aircraft was then checked again at the off station for the range of movement check and once again it checked good, so once again it was released for a maintenance flight. The aircraft flew back to ZZZ and while in-flight at 16000 ft the aircraft wanted to climb, they used the trim, but they ran out, so they turned the autoplt off and flew the aircraft safely to ZZZ (no in-flight emergency declared). After reaching the maintenance facility on 04/wed/02, the aircraft had cables checked, quadrants pinned, and another range of movement check performed, and they found the r-hand elevator trim tab off by 3.5 degrees. The maintenance manual does not call for pinning the elevator trim tab to get neutral, it calls for setting the gust lock and putting your trim wheel to neutral, and using a protractor with suction caps, which we used -- not a digital protractor which they used, so I feel a preventive solution to this situation would have been a longer more extensive maintenance flight for the characteristic of any flight control surface.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A JETSTREAM 4100 HAD A RANGE OF MOVEMENT CHK PERFORMED ON THE R AND L ELEVATOR AND ELEVATOR TABS WITH FAULTY MAINT MANUAL DATA.

Narrative: I (QUALITY ASSURANCE INSPECTOR FOR ACR X) AM RPTING THE INCIDENTS OF 04/TUE/02 (NIGHT SHIFT). MYSELF AND THE LEAD MECH ON SHIFT THAT NIGHT PERFORMED A RANGE OF MOVEMENT CHK ON A NEWLY INSTALLED R-HAND ELEVATOR ON JETSTREAM 4100. THE CHK CALLS FOR A RANGE OF MOVEMENT ON BOTH THE ELEVATOR AND ELEVATOR TRIM TAB. WE PERFORMED THE CHK BY HIM DOING THE TASK AND MYSELF INSPECTING HIS READINGS ON THE PROTRACTOR, MAKING SURE THEY MATCH WHAT THE MAINT MANUAL HAS. EVERYTHING CHKED GOOD FOR THE R-HAND ELEVATOR AND ELEVATOR TAB. WE ALSO CHKED THE L-HAND ELEVATOR AND ELEVATOR TRIM TAB TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD THE CORRECT READING ON THE PROTRACTOR. THEY ALSO CHKED GOOD. SO AFTER ALL MAINT WAS PERFORMED, I RELEASED THE ACFT FOR A MAINT FLT. THE ACFT FLEW ITS MAINT FLT FOR THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FLT CTL, THE ACFT LANDED, NO DEFECTS NOTED, MAINT FLT SATISFACTORY. SO THE ACFT WAS THEN RELEASED BY DAY SHIFT FOR SVC SOMETIME BEFORE XA00. THE ACFT FLEW PAX TO ZZZ1 WHERE UPON LNDG EXPERIENCED LIMITED TRIM FOR NOSE DOWN OP, BUT LANDED THE ACFT SAFELY (NO INFLT EMER WAS DECLARED). THE ACFT WAS THEN CHKED AGAIN AT THE OFF STATION FOR THE RANGE OF MOVEMENT CHK AND ONCE AGAIN IT CHKED GOOD, SO ONCE AGAIN IT WAS RELEASED FOR A MAINT FLT. THE ACFT FLEW BACK TO ZZZ AND WHILE INFLT AT 16000 FT THE ACFT WANTED TO CLB, THEY USED THE TRIM, BUT THEY RAN OUT, SO THEY TURNED THE AUTOPLT OFF AND FLEW THE ACFT SAFELY TO ZZZ (NO INFLT EMER DECLARED). AFTER REACHING THE MAINT FACILITY ON 04/WED/02, THE ACFT HAD CABLES CHKED, QUADRANTS PINNED, AND ANOTHER RANGE OF MOVEMENT CHK PERFORMED, AND THEY FOUND THE R-HAND ELEVATOR TRIM TAB OFF BY 3.5 DEGS. THE MAINT MANUAL DOES NOT CALL FOR PINNING THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB TO GET NEUTRAL, IT CALLS FOR SETTING THE GUST LOCK AND PUTTING YOUR TRIM WHEEL TO NEUTRAL, AND USING A PROTRACTOR WITH SUCTION CAPS, WHICH WE USED -- NOT A DIGITAL PROTRACTOR WHICH THEY USED, SO I FEEL A PREVENTIVE SOLUTION TO THIS SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LONGER MORE EXTENSIVE MAINT FLT FOR THE CHARACTERISTIC OF ANY FLT CTL SURFACE.

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.