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20000202000099I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Doug DC983 · Phoenix, AZ · February 2, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 2, 2000 · 09:00 local
Place
Phoenix, AZ
Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
AALA
Aircraft
N565AA
Reported as
Doug DC983
People aboard
64
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
18,000 total10,000 in this make and model240 in the last 90 days
N565AARegistration cancelled Sep 13, 2019 · Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83)S/N 49347 · Built 1987Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas DC-9-83(MD-83)Engine modelPratt & Whitney JT8D seriesTurbo-jet

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The following discrepancy was entered in the aircraft flight log on page #5588469: "al lvl flt 13,000 ft. stab trim jammed. Operation intermittent, then inop both systems. Ck list complete, idng @ flaps 28, 122,00 lb. Normal 1DNG. Used extra back pressure to maintain flt". Aircraft returned to Phoenix sky Harbor airport without further incident. Aala maintenance personnel removed and replaced the primary stabilizer trim motor. Further trouble shooting revealed that the first officer's stablizer trim switch in the control column had broken internally and was causing an intermittent (shorting) operation of the trim motor. This uncommanded operation would cause the overheating of the motor and the acuation (opening) of the internal thermal switch which would disconnect the electrical function of the trim motor as the system is designed. The control column switch was removed and replaced and all functional checks were normal. A post maintenance functional test flight was satisfactory.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE FOLLOWING DISCREPANCY WAS ENTERED IN THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT LOG ON PAGE #5588469: "AL LVL FLT 13,000 FT. STAB TRIM JAMMED. OPERATION INTERMITTENT, THEN INOP BOTH SYSTEMS. CK LIST COMPLETE, IDNG @ FLAPS 28, 122,00 LB. NORMAL 1DNG. USED EXTRA BACK PRESSURE TO MAINTAIN FLT". AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO PHOENIX SKY HARBOR AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AALA MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REMOVED AND REPLACED THE PRIMARY STABILIZER TRIM MOTOR. FURTHER TROUBLE SHOOTING REVEALED THAT THE FIRST OFFICER'S STABLIZER TRIM SWITCH IN THE CONTROL COLUMN HAD BROKEN INTERNALLY AND WAS CAUSING AN INTERMITTENT (SHORTING) OPERATION OF THE TRIM MOTOR. THIS UNCOMMANDED OPERATION WOULD CAUSE THE OVERHEATING OF THE MOTOR AND THE ACUATION (OPENING) OF THE INTERNAL THERMAL SWITCH WHICH WOULD DISCONNECT THE ELECTRICAL FUNCTION OF THE TRIM MOTOR AS THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED. THE CONTROL COLUMN SWITCH WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED AND ALL FUNCTIONAL CHECKS WERE NORMAL. A POST MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONAL TEST FLIGHT WAS SATISFACTORY.