Narrative:

I was captain of the flight on jul/sat/06. Ground operations and takeoff was normal. At 10000 ft; I lowered the nose of the aircraft and accelerated to a climb speed of approximately 300 KIAS. I was hand flying the aircraft at this time. As the aircraft approached climb speed the yoke became very heavy and the aircraft wanted to pitch up. I applied nose down trim and noticed that the stabilizer trim indicator was not moving. I disconnected the autothrottles and reduced our speed. We tried all normal trim switches in the flight deck and the alternate trim switches and nothing worked. I told the first officer to call departure and tell them we had a flight control problem and needed to level off at 11000 ft. She called and declared an emergency for us and got the checklist out. After running the first part of the checklist the alternate trim started to work; so I was able to turn on the autoplt. After 2 ACARS messages to flight control; several calls to the flight attendants and 2 PA's to the passenger I configured the aircraft while the trim was working and landed. Landing and taxi were normal. Several agents and maintenance personnel met us. I spoke with the passenger; agent and maintenance. We wrote up the problem in the logbook and had the passenger deplane. I called flight control and spoke with them. They connected me to the duty pilot who connected me to the duty chief pilot. After talking about the event he cleared us to continue on. The rest of the trip was uneventful. After thinking about this event there are several things I would like to address. First; my first officer was confused with the stabilizer inoperative checklist. She had a question with the wording and should she pull and reset the circuit breakers or just reset if popped. Second; she felt that since the generator bus is behind the captain's seat and there is poor access to it; maybe there should be a picture showing the breaker's location. Third; I do not remember having to run this checklist in training. Trying to fly the aircraft with your seat full forward while your first officer is looking at the generator bus should be done in the simulator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AM MD88 PLT DESCRIBES AN INOP HORIZ STABILIZER TRIM EVENT AND STABILIZER TRIM INOP CHKLIST CONFUSION. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH A RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF THE FLT ON JUL/SAT/06. GND OPS AND TKOF WAS NORMAL. AT 10000 FT; I LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AND ACCELERATED TO A CLB SPD OF APPROX 300 KIAS. I WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT AT THIS TIME. AS THE ACFT APCHED CLB SPD THE YOKE BECAME VERY HVY AND THE ACFT WANTED TO PITCH UP. I APPLIED NOSE DOWN TRIM AND NOTICED THAT THE STABILIZER TRIM INDICATOR WAS NOT MOVING. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND REDUCED OUR SPD. WE TRIED ALL NORMAL TRIM SWITCHES IN THE FLT DECK AND THE ALTERNATE TRIM SWITCHES AND NOTHING WORKED. I TOLD THE FO TO CALL DEP AND TELL THEM WE HAD A FLT CTL PROB AND NEEDED TO LEVEL OFF AT 11000 FT. SHE CALLED AND DECLARED AN EMER FOR US AND GOT THE CHKLIST OUT. AFTER RUNNING THE FIRST PART OF THE CHKLIST THE ALTERNATE TRIM STARTED TO WORK; SO I WAS ABLE TO TURN ON THE AUTOPLT. AFTER 2 ACARS MESSAGES TO FLT CTL; SEVERAL CALLS TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND 2 PA'S TO THE PAX I CONFIGURED THE ACFT WHILE THE TRIM WAS WORKING AND LANDED. LNDG AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. SEVERAL AGENTS AND MAINT PERSONNEL MET US. I SPOKE WITH THE PAX; AGENT AND MAINT. WE WROTE UP THE PROB IN THE LOGBOOK AND HAD THE PAX DEPLANE. I CALLED FLT CTL AND SPOKE WITH THEM. THEY CONNECTED ME TO THE DUTY PLT WHO CONNECTED ME TO THE DUTY CHIEF PLT. AFTER TALKING ABOUT THE EVENT HE CLRED US TO CONTINUE ON. THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER THINKING ABOUT THIS EVENT THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS. FIRST; MY FO WAS CONFUSED WITH THE STABILIZER INOP CHKLIST. SHE HAD A QUESTION WITH THE WORDING AND SHOULD SHE PULL AND RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS OR JUST RESET IF POPPED. SECOND; SHE FELT THAT SINCE THE GENERATOR BUS IS BEHIND THE CAPT'S SEAT AND THERE IS POOR ACCESS TO IT; MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE A PICTURE SHOWING THE BREAKER'S LOCATION. THIRD; I DO NOT REMEMBER HAVING TO RUN THIS CHKLIST IN TRAINING. TRYING TO FLY THE ACFT WITH YOUR SEAT FULL FORWARD WHILE YOUR FO IS LOOKING AT THE GENERATOR BUS SHOULD BE DONE IN THE SIMULATOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.