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A saab 340 in cruise at 17000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to small low frequency pitch changes caused by a flap potentiometer failure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 562311 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200210 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ind.airport |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl single value : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | SF 340B |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| 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 : 200 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 750 |
| ASRS Report | 562311 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During climb out and cruise, we noticed several small pitch change anomalies (2-3 seconds in length) while the autoplt was disengaged. We saw no obvious anomalies within the cockpit. At first, we assumed the flight attendant was moving back and forth. I called back to check and she was not. After careful consideration, I asked her to move back and forth to see if we could recreate the pitch change. When that didn't work, I decided to divert to ind because it was straight ahead, would require only 1 left turn, and has very long runways. We declared an emergency and ran our normal checklists (there aren't any procedures for pitch change anomalies) and landed without incident. Afterwards, postflt maintenance discovered the flap potentiometer had failed. There is no checklist either normal/abnormal or emergency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A SAAB 340 IN CRUISE AT 17000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO SMALL LOW FREQ PITCH CHANGES CAUSED BY A FLAP POTENTIOMETER FAILURE.
Narrative: DURING CLBOUT AND CRUISE, WE NOTICED SEVERAL SMALL PITCH CHANGE ANOMALIES (2-3 SECONDS IN LENGTH) WHILE THE AUTOPLT WAS DISENGAGED. WE SAW NO OBVIOUS ANOMALIES WITHIN THE COCKPIT. AT FIRST, WE ASSUMED THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS MOVING BACK AND FORTH. I CALLED BACK TO CHK AND SHE WAS NOT. AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, I ASKED HER TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH TO SEE IF WE COULD RECREATE THE PITCH CHANGE. WHEN THAT DIDN'T WORK, I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO IND BECAUSE IT WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD, WOULD REQUIRE ONLY 1 L TURN, AND HAS VERY LONG RWYS. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RAN OUR NORMAL CHKLISTS (THERE AREN'T ANY PROCS FOR PITCH CHANGE ANOMALIES) AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTERWARDS, POSTFLT MAINT DISCOVERED THE FLAP POTENTIOMETER HAD FAILED. THERE IS NO CHKLIST EITHER NORMAL/ABNORMAL OR EMER.
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.