Narrative:

Aircraft was cleared for takeoff on runway 29L to fly runway heading to 2000 ft. After normal takeoff and completion of the after-takeoff checklist, tower advised to contact departure. Initial departure controller instructed climb to 5000 ft. During climb from 2000 ft to 5000 ft and accelerating to 250 KTS, flying pilot (while hand flying) and trying to maintain assigned heading noticed the airplane was turning to the right and notified non-flying pilot there was some problem with the flight controls. Simultaneously, ATC called to change our frequency. At this time non-flying pilot calmly requested radar vectors back to ZZZ. ATC asked, 'are you declaring an emergency?' we were still trying to figure out the problem. There was no aural or visual warning (indicating lights) to help us diagnose the situation. We decided not to declare an emergency, just to ask for vectors back to ZZZ ATC advised us to turn right to 270. When non-flying pilot queried this instructions ATC then advised to turn to 090 and maintain 4000 ft. We acknowledged and complied. Non-flying pilot advised passengers we were having a mechanical problem, and it was necessary to go back to the airport, and to please fasten their seat belts, and we would explain more once we landed. At the same time, we completed all the items in the runway rudder trim checklist. As we did so, flying pilot advised pitch trim was not responding. After completing that appropriate checklist, at this point, our main concern was to control the aircraft. Both pilots were on full left rudder and the yoke. At this time, we were again, having difficulty maintaining assigned heading and altitude. Non-flying pilot advised ATC we could not maintain assigned heading and altitude. ATC advised we try a heading of 120. We were assigned 3000 ft, then 2000 ft. It was difficult, even with both pilots on the controls, to maintain altitude and heading. We tried several things to ease opposing control forces, such as the use of differential thrust, releasing and reengaging the yaw damper, and speed changes. As we slowed, we were able to gain a little more control, however, it began to cause us to lose altitude and airspeed. Also, we had a traffic alert, then a resolution alert on the TCAS. We had to add more power to climb, which made the aircraft all the more difficult to control. We had the airport in sight and replied affirmatively to ATC when asked. ATC then cleared us for the visual approach to runway 29L. Once again, when we were able to slow down on the right downwind, the airplane was more stabilized. We completed the appropriate checklists. Both pilots were still flying the aircraft to hold opposing control forces. We made an uneventful landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the rudder trim and pitch trim was checked during the preflight check and again before takeoff and both were operating normally. The reporter said climbing through 2000 ft the airplane began turning to the right and required both pilots on the rudder pedals to maintain heading. The reporter stated the pitch trim was now noted to have failed and required both pilots on the rudder pedals and yoke. The reporter said there is no backup system for the rudder trim but the pitch trim has an alternate actuator. The reporter stated on return to the airport it was discovered the rudder trim pedestal switch control had failed internally, driving the trim motor to full right. The reporter said the cause of the pitch trim failure has not been reported by maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 400A ON TKOF CLB AT 2000 FT DIVERTED DUE TO RUDDER TRIM UNCOMMANDED TO FULL RIGHT TRIM AND PITCH TRIM FAILED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 29L TO FLY RWY HEADING TO 2000 FT. AFTER NORMAL TKOF AND COMPLETION OF THE AFTER-TKOF CHKLIST, TWR ADVISED TO CONTACT DEP. INITIAL DEP CTLR INSTRUCTED CLB TO 5000 FT. DURING CLB FROM 2000 FT TO 5000 FT AND ACCELERATING TO 250 KTS, FLYING PLT (WHILE HAND FLYING) AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED HEADING NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WAS TURNING TO THE R AND NOTIFIED NON-FLYING PLT THERE WAS SOME PROB WITH THE FLT CTLS. SIMULTANEOUSLY, ATC CALLED TO CHANGE OUR FREQ. AT THIS TIME NON-FLYING PLT CALMLY REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS BACK TO ZZZ. ATC ASKED, 'ARE YOU DECLARING AN EMER?' WE WERE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE PROB. THERE WAS NO AURAL OR VISUAL WARNING (INDICATING LIGHTS) TO HELP US DIAGNOSE THE SIT. WE DECIDED NOT TO DECLARE AN EMER, JUST TO ASK FOR VECTORS BACK TO ZZZ ATC ADVISED US TO TURN R TO 270. WHEN NON-FLYING PLT QUERIED THIS INSTRUCTIONS ATC THEN ADVISED TO TURN TO 090 AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED. NON-FLYING PLT ADVISED PASSENGERS WE WERE HAVING A MECHANICAL PROB, AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO GO BACK TO THE ARPT, AND TO PLEASE FASTEN THEIR SEAT BELTS, AND WE WOULD EXPLAIN MORE ONCE WE LANDED. AT THE SAME TIME, WE COMPLETED ALL THE ITEMS IN THE RWY RUDDER TRIM CHKLIST. AS WE DID SO, FLYING PLT ADVISED PITCH TRIM WAS NOT RESPONDING. AFTER COMPLETING THAT APPROPRIATE CHKLIST, AT THIS POINT, OUR MAIN CONCERN WAS TO CTL THE ACFT. BOTH PLTS WERE ON FULL LEFT RUDDER AND THE YOKE. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE AGAIN, HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ASSIGNED HEADING AND ALTITUDE. NON-FLYING PLT ADVISED ATC WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ASSIGNED HEADING AND ALTITUDE. ATC ADVISED WE TRY A HEADING OF 120. WE WERE ASSIGNED 3000 FT, THEN 2000 FT. IT WAS DIFFICULT, EVEN WITH BOTH PLTS ON THE CTLS, TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND HEADING. WE TRIED SEVERAL THINGS TO EASE OPPOSING CTL FORCES, SUCH AS THE USE OF DIFFERENTIAL THRUST, RELEASING AND REENGAGING THE YAW DAMPER, AND SPEED CHANGES. AS WE SLOWED, WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN A LITTLE MORE CTL, HOWEVER, IT BEGAN TO CAUSE US TO LOSE ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. ALSO, WE HAD A TFC ALERT, THEN A RESOLUTION ALERT ON THE TCAS. WE HAD TO ADD MORE POWER TO CLB, WHICH MADE THE ACFT ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT TO CTL. WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND REPLIED AFFIRMATIVELY TO ATC WHEN ASKED. ATC THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 29L. ONCE AGAIN, WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO SLOW DOWN ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND, THE AIRPLANE WAS MORE STABILIZED. WE COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. BOTH PLTS WERE STILL FLYING THE ACFT TO HOLD OPPOSING CTL FORCES. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE RUDDER TRIM AND PITCH TRIM WAS CHKED DURING THE PREFLT CHK AND AGAIN BEFORE TKOF AND BOTH WERE OPERATING NORMALLY. THE RPTR SAID CLBING THROUGH 2000 FT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TURNING TO THE RIGHT AND REQUIRED BOTH PLTS ON THE RUDDER PEDALS TO MAINTAIN HEADING. THE RPTR STATED THE PITCH TRIM WAS NOW NOTED TO HAVE FAILED AND REQUIRED BOTH PLTS ON THE RUDDER PEDALS AND YOKE. THE RPTR SAID THERE IS NO BACKUP SYS FOR THE RUDDER TRIM BUT THE PITCH TRIM HAS AN ALTERNATE ACTUATOR. THE RPTR STATED ON RETURN TO THE ARPT IT WAS DISCOVERED THE RUDDER TRIM PEDESTAL SWITCH CTL HAD FAILED INTERNALLY, DRIVING THE TRIM MOTOR TO FULL R. THE RPTR SAID THE CAUSE OF THE PITCH TRIM FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN RPTED 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.