What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 21, 2000, at approximatley 0958 hours PDT, a sky west airlines aircraft, flight number 5353, an Embraer 120, N566SW on a domestic revenue flight from los angeles CA, experienced an elevator trim problem at flight cruise level 22.0 prior to arriving at the Fresno Yosemite int'l airport (fat) in Fresno, CA. The crew declared an emergency and landed the aircraft unevenfully without damage. Further investigation revealed the crew encountered a frozen condition of the elevator actuator trim sytem while using the autopilot to trim the aircraft during cruise and descent segments of flight. This condition corrected itself as the aircraft descended into a lower altitude. Maintenance technicians replaced both trim actuators with the new type actuators and the aircraft was released without further incident. This sutuation has warrented further investigation into this matter with involvement from the maufacturer, a repair station, the operator and NTSB. This occurrence report has been upgraded to an incident.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 21, 2000, AT APPROXIMATLEY 0958 HOURS PDT, A SKY WEST AIRLINES AIRCRAFT, FLIGHT NUMBER 5353, AN EMBRAER 120, N566SW ON A DOMESTIC REVENUE FLIGHT FROM LOS ANGELES CA, EXPERIENCED AN ELEVATOR TRIM PROBLEM AT FLIGHT CRUISE LEVEL 22.0 PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT THE FRESNO YOSEMITE INT'L AIRPORT (FAT) IN FRESNO, CA. THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT UNEVENFULLY WITHOUT DAMAGE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE CREW ENCOUNTERED A FROZEN CONDITION OF THE ELEVATOR ACTUATOR TRIM SYTEM WHILE USING THE AUTOPILOT TO TRIM THE AIRCRAFT DURING CRUISE AND DESCENT SEGMENTS OF FLIGHT. THIS CONDITION CORRECTED ITSELF AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO A LOWER ALTITUDE. MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS REPLACED BOTH TRIM ACTUATORS WITH THE NEW TYPE ACTUATORS AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS SUTUATION HAS WARRENTED FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER WITH INVOLVEMENT FROM THE MAUFACTURER, A REPAIR STATION, THE OPERATOR AND NTSB. THIS OCCURRENCE REPORT HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN INCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.