Narrative:

Maintenance work involving the horizontal stabilizer and elevator trim had been completed on company aircraft. I flew the aircraft check the proper functioning of the repairs. I received a verbal release from our maintenance personnel confirming the fact the aircraft was in airworthy condition. I accepted this release without checking the aircraft logbook to verify that the work had been signed off in the logbook. During this flight I determined the elevator trim system was not functioning in a satisfactory manner. I returned the aircraft to maintenance and verbally reported the problem. I did not enter this finding in the aircraft status book; assuming this would be handled by maintenance. Our maintenance personnel effected the necessary adjustments and I flew the aircraft again to verify their work. Again I accepted their verbal airworthiness release and did not check the aircraft logbook. During this flight another problem occurred; not related to the previous work; which had been completed. In this case; the bolt which connects the elevator trim tab to its actuator arm failed; resulting in loss of trim capability and making pitch control very difficult. I declared an emergency and returned for a successful landing. Other than the bolt which was missing; there was no damage to the aircraft; and no injuries to the occupants. Upon landing; and because this was a flight control malfunction; an immediate report was made to the NTSB and to our poi. After visually inspecting the aircraft; I reported the problem to maintenance. This was a verbal report and I did not put it in writing; assuming maintenance would take care of that. It was subsequently determined that this had not been done. After talking with our pmi; necessary entries were completed in the logbook and aircraft records. I have discussed this matter with our do and cp; and both the dm and I have received remedial training on our company procedures. Supplemental information from acn 734863: aircraft scheduled maintenance was performed. Upon inspection; the horizontal right front attachment fitting was found to be cracked. The empennage section was removed to ascertain the fitting. The empennage section was reinstalled. A logbook entry was made replacing the fitting. The aircraft was returned to service upon completion of the inspection. The PIC flew the aircraft and determined that the elevator trim was not working in a satisfactory manner. The PIC returned the aircraft to maintenance and verbally communicated with me of the problem. I repaired the problem in accordance with cessna maintenance manual and referenced the aircraft status/logbook for a discrepancy and none was made. During the following flight the aft elevator trim bolt departed the aircraft during flight; resulting in loss of trim capability. The aircraft was then returned to maintenance for repairs. The PIC again verbally communicated to me the problem. The hardware was replaced and a maintenance logbook entry was made. I looked in the aircraft status/logbook for the discrepancy and none was made. After talking with our pmi necessary entries were made in to the maintenance logbooks and aircraft status records. I have discussed this mater with the gm; do and the cp. I have received remedial training of the company's procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RPT TO THE NTSB RELATIVE TO FLT CTLS ON A C207 LED TO THE DISCOVERY THAT DOCUMENTATION AND LOGBOOK PROCS WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE.

Narrative: MAINT WORK INVOLVING THE HORIZ STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR TRIM HAD BEEN COMPLETED ON COMPANY ACFT. I FLEW THE ACFT CHK THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF THE REPAIRS. I RECEIVED A VERBAL RELEASE FROM OUR MAINT PERSONNEL CONFIRMING THE FACT THE ACFT WAS IN AIRWORTHY CONDITION. I ACCEPTED THIS RELEASE WITHOUT CHKING THE ACFT LOGBOOK TO VERIFY THAT THE WORK HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF IN THE LOGBOOK. DURING THIS FLT I DETERMINED THE ELEVATOR TRIM SYS WAS NOT FUNCTIONING IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER. I RETURNED THE ACFT TO MAINT AND VERBALLY RPTED THE PROB. I DID NOT ENTER THIS FINDING IN THE ACFT STATUS BOOK; ASSUMING THIS WOULD BE HANDLED BY MAINT. OUR MAINT PERSONNEL EFFECTED THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS AND I FLEW THE ACFT AGAIN TO VERIFY THEIR WORK. AGAIN I ACCEPTED THEIR VERBAL AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE AND DID NOT CHK THE ACFT LOGBOOK. DURING THIS FLT ANOTHER PROB OCCURRED; NOT RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS WORK; WHICH HAD BEEN COMPLETED. IN THIS CASE; THE BOLT WHICH CONNECTS THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB TO ITS ACTUATOR ARM FAILED; RESULTING IN LOSS OF TRIM CAPABILITY AND MAKING PITCH CTL VERY DIFFICULT. I DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED FOR A SUCCESSFUL LNDG. OTHER THAN THE BOLT WHICH WAS MISSING; THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; AND NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS. UPON LNDG; AND BECAUSE THIS WAS A FLT CTL MALFUNCTION; AN IMMEDIATE RPT WAS MADE TO THE NTSB AND TO OUR POI. AFTER VISUALLY INSPECTING THE ACFT; I RPTED THE PROB TO MAINT. THIS WAS A VERBAL RPT AND I DID NOT PUT IT IN WRITING; ASSUMING MAINT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT. IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DETERMINED THAT THIS HAD NOT BEEN DONE. AFTER TALKING WITH OUR PMI; NECESSARY ENTRIES WERE COMPLETED IN THE LOGBOOK AND ACFT RECORDS. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH OUR DO AND CP; AND BOTH THE DM AND I HAVE RECEIVED REMEDIAL TRAINING ON OUR COMPANY PROCS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 734863: ACFT SCHEDULED MAINT WAS PERFORMED. UPON INSPECTION; THE HORIZ R FRONT ATTACHMENT FITTING WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED. THE EMPENNAGE SECTION WAS REMOVED TO ASCERTAIN THE FITTING. THE EMPENNAGE SECTION WAS REINSTALLED. A LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE REPLACING THE FITTING. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC UPON COMPLETION OF THE INSPECTION. THE PIC FLEW THE ACFT AND DETERMINED THAT THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS NOT WORKING IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER. THE PIC RETURNED THE ACFT TO MAINT AND VERBALLY COMMUNICATED WITH ME OF THE PROB. I REPAIRED THE PROB IN ACCORDANCE WITH CESSNA MAINT MANUAL AND REFED THE ACFT STATUS/LOGBOOK FOR A DISCREPANCY AND NONE WAS MADE. DURING THE FOLLOWING FLT THE AFT ELEVATOR TRIM BOLT DEPARTED THE ACFT DURING FLT; RESULTING IN LOSS OF TRIM CAPABILITY. THE ACFT WAS THEN RETURNED TO MAINT FOR REPAIRS. THE PIC AGAIN VERBALLY COMMUNICATED TO ME THE PROB. THE HARDWARE WAS REPLACED AND A MAINT LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE. I LOOKED IN THE ACFT STATUS/LOGBOOK FOR THE DISCREPANCY AND NONE WAS MADE. AFTER TALKING WITH OUR PMI NECESSARY ENTRIES WERE MADE IN TO THE MAINT LOGBOOKS AND ACFT STATUS RECORDS. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS MATER WITH THE GM; DO AND THE CP. I HAVE RECEIVED REMEDIAL TRAINING OF THE COMPANY'S PROCS.

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.