Narrative:

I was picking up a C182 at ZZZ after scheduled maintenance. I ran the post maintenance acceptance and normal preflight checklists. I checked all control surfaces; except that I set the elevator trim tab for takeoff and only noted that it was in the correct position. I did not run the trim wheel up and down to check for correct direction of movement. I had been advised that there had been maintenance to control surfaces; but thought it was to bushings and did not realize that control wires had been disconnected during the service. Obviously; in retrospect; I should have checked trim movement for correct control input. After rotation; I began to run the trim wheel nose down. I got an aggressive additional pitch up. Initially; thinking I hadn't trimmed enough; I added more 'nose down;' which of course made my problem worse. I recognized that I was making things worse (excessive nose up and decreasing airspeed on departure); so I returned the trim wheel to approximate takeoff position (going back to last thing I had changed and making it as before). It was apparent then that things were backwards and I checked by trimming 'nose up' and of course; the nose went down. I got things stabilized; called approach and canceled my IFR clearance and called ZZZ unicom to report my return and problem. I had read recently that experience with reversed ailerons is extremely difficult to fly; even after the problem is recognized. Training is just so ingrained that using opposite controls is difficult for most pilots. In my experience here; I found that it is difficult to remember to do things 'opposite' of normal. Additionally; in the C182; in a nearly full nose up trim position; I was barely able to exert enough force (I am a 200 pound male) on the yoke to stop the pitch up; much less able to reduce it. Not recognizing what was causing the problem or less physical strength would most definitely resulted in a departure stall. It is clear to me that: 1) I should have been more diligent in a post maintenance acceptance (and note that at the top of the form it asks for the name of the 'test pilot'). 2) while this scenario probably may never be encountered again by me; the situation of high power and excessive nose up trim can occur on a go around. We all know the procedure; but that initial power addition will cause an aggressive pitch up and the airspeed is already slow. Control force to lower the yoke will be very high and any delay; or equipment malfunction at this point will be very difficult to deal with before a stall occurs.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated it was only a few minutes but seemed like hours before discovery of the fact the elevator trim was rigged wrong. The airplane being fresh out of scheduled maintenance required more flight control inspection than was accomplished. The elevator trim was only set to the takeoff position and the tab direction of travel was not observed. To trim controls opposite of normal direction is hard to do even knowing the result. On the ground a panel was removed in the tail section and the cables were found improperly connected. No emergency was declared.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 DURING TKOF CLB ADDED NOSE DOWN TRIM GOT ADDITIONAL NOSE UP. ADDED MORE NOSE DOWN TRIM GOT EXCESSIVE NOSE UP AND DECREASING AIRSPD. DISCOVERED ELEVATOR TRIM CTL RIGGED BACKWARDS.

Narrative: I WAS PICKING UP A C182 AT ZZZ AFTER SCHEDULED MAINT. I RAN THE POST MAINT ACCEPTANCE AND NORMAL PREFLT CHKLISTS. I CHKED ALL CTL SURFACES; EXCEPT THAT I SET THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB FOR TKOF AND ONLY NOTED THAT IT WAS IN THE CORRECT POSITION. I DID NOT RUN THE TRIM WHEEL UP AND DOWN TO CHK FOR CORRECT DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT. I HAD BEEN ADVISED THAT THERE HAD BEEN MAINT TO CTL SURFACES; BUT THOUGHT IT WAS TO BUSHINGS AND DID NOT REALIZE THAT CTL WIRES HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED DURING THE SVC. OBVIOUSLY; IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE CHKED TRIM MOVEMENT FOR CORRECT CTL INPUT. AFTER ROTATION; I BEGAN TO RUN THE TRIM WHEEL NOSE DOWN. I GOT AN AGGRESSIVE ADDITIONAL PITCH UP. INITIALLY; THINKING I HADN'T TRIMMED ENOUGH; I ADDED MORE 'NOSE DOWN;' WHICH OF COURSE MADE MY PROB WORSE. I RECOGNIZED THAT I WAS MAKING THINGS WORSE (EXCESSIVE NOSE UP AND DECREASING AIRSPD ON DEP); SO I RETURNED THE TRIM WHEEL TO APPROXIMATE TKOF POSITION (GOING BACK TO LAST THING I HAD CHANGED AND MAKING IT AS BEFORE). IT WAS APPARENT THEN THAT THINGS WERE BACKWARDS AND I CHKED BY TRIMMING 'NOSE UP' AND OF COURSE; THE NOSE WENT DOWN. I GOT THINGS STABILIZED; CALLED APCH AND CANCELED MY IFR CLRNC AND CALLED ZZZ UNICOM TO REPORT MY RETURN AND PROB. I HAD READ RECENTLY THAT EXPERIENCE WITH REVERSED AILERONS IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FLY; EVEN AFTER THE PROB IS RECOGNIZED. TRAINING IS JUST SO INGRAINED THAT USING OPPOSITE CTLS IS DIFFICULT FOR MOST PLTS. IN MY EXPERIENCE HERE; I FOUND THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO REMEMBER TO DO THINGS 'OPPOSITE' OF NORMAL. ADDITIONALLY; IN THE C182; IN A NEARLY FULL NOSE UP TRIM POSITION; I WAS BARELY ABLE TO EXERT ENOUGH FORCE (I AM A 200 LB MALE) ON THE YOKE TO STOP THE PITCH UP; MUCH LESS ABLE TO REDUCE IT. NOT RECOGNIZING WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROB OR LESS PHYSICAL STRENGTH WOULD MOST DEFINITELY RESULTED IN A DEP STALL. IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT: 1) I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DILIGENT IN A POST MAINT ACCEPTANCE (AND NOTE THAT AT THE TOP OF THE FORM IT ASKS FOR THE NAME OF THE 'TEST PLT'). 2) WHILE THIS SCENARIO PROBABLY MAY NEVER BE ENCOUNTERED AGAIN BY ME; THE SITUATION OF HIGH POWER AND EXCESSIVE NOSE UP TRIM CAN OCCUR ON A GO AROUND. WE ALL KNOW THE PROC; BUT THAT INITIAL POWER ADDITION WILL CAUSE AN AGGRESSIVE PITCH UP AND THE AIRSPD IS ALREADY SLOW. CTL FORCE TO LOWER THE YOKE WILL BE VERY HIGH AND ANY DELAY; OR EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTION AT THIS POINT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH BEFORE A STALL OCCURS.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IT WAS ONLY A FEW MINUTES BUT SEEMED LIKE HOURS BEFORE DISCOVERY OF THE FACT THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS RIGGED WRONG. THE AIRPLANE BEING FRESH OUT OF SCHEDULED MAINT REQUIRED MORE FLT CTL INSPECTION THAN WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS ONLY SET TO THE TKOF POSITION AND THE TAB DIRECTION OF TRAVEL WAS NOT OBSERVED. TO TRIM CTLS OPPOSITE OF NORMAL DIRECTION IS HARD TO DO EVEN KNOWING THE RESULT. ON THE GND A PANEL WAS REMOVED IN THE TAIL SECTION AND THE CABLES WERE FOUND IMPROPERLY CONNECTED. NO EMER WAS DECLARED.

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.