What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flight 6866-21 was approximately one hour into test flight when the flight crew noticed that neither autopilots (1 & 2) would stay engaged. When the autopilot would attempt to adjust pitch it would disengage. The crew began to get fault indications on the electronic centralized aircraft monitor (ecam) related to elevator and aileron computor (elac) #1 and elac #2. The flight crew completed the checks that were able to be accomplished in the current condition of the aircraft and noticed that the pitch trim would not allow them to trim nose up. As they lined the aircraft up for final approach they noted that the pitch trim was locked in the 5 degree nose down position. The crew did not declare an emergency and continued the approach to a full stop landing. NTSB was notified by the pilots due to the elac 1 and 2 fault indications. After a review of the incident NTSB released the aircraft to united airlines inc. to allow them to perform an investigation into the incident. It was discovered that a bolt p/n NAS6704-12 had become lodged in the mechanism which controlled the pitch trim of the horizontal stabilizer.
As the FAA filed it
FLIGHT 6866-21 WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR INTO TEST FLIGHT WHEN THE FLIGHT CREW NOTICED THAT NEITHER AUTOPILOTS (1 & 2) WOULD STAY ENGAGED. WHEN THE AUTOPILOT WOULD ATTEMPT TO ADJUST PITCH IT WOULD DISENGAGE. THE CREW BEGAN TO GET FAULT INDICATIONS ON THE ELECTRONIC CENTRALIZED AIRCRAFT MONITOR (ECAM) RELATED TO ELEVATOR AND AILERON COMPUTOR (ELAC) #1 AND ELAC #2. THE FLIGHT CREW COMPLETED THE CHECKS THAT WERE ABLE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTICED THAT THE PITCH TRIM WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO TRIM NOSE UP. AS THEY LINED THE AIRCRAFT UP FOR FINAL APPROACH THEY NOTED THAT THE PITCH TRIM WAS LOCKED IN THE 5 DEGREE NOSE DOWN POSITION. THE CREW DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND CONTINUED THE APPROACH TO A FULL STOP LANDING. NTSB WAS NOTIFIED BY THE PILOTS DUE TO THE ELAC 1 AND 2 FAULT INDICATIONS. AFTER A REVIEW OF THE INCIDENT NTSB RELEASED THE AIRCRAFT TO UNITED AIRLINES INC. TO ALLOW THEM TO PERFORM AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A BOLT P/N NAS6704-12 HAD BECOME LODGED IN THE MECHANISM WHICH CONTROLLED THE PITCH TRIM OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER.
Other reports on N418UA · 1
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