On April 9, 1999, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32 (registration N205ME) was involved in an aviation accident near Dubuque, IA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the frozen elevator control. Factors to the incident were the rain and the low temperature. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A Midwest Express Airlines DC9 experienced frozen elevator control after departing in rain at 39°F. The crew used trim until descending to warmer air, where control thawed. Post-incident inspection found no anomalies. Similar incidents occurred on two other MWEA DC9 flights.
Incident Description
The aircraft departed in rain with a surface temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Upon reaching cruise altitude, the flight crew discovered that the elevator control was frozen and would not move. The pilot stated that the aircraft was flown using primary and alternate trim until a descent was made to warmer air. The elevator thawed and normal control was regained.
Post-Inspection Findings
An inspection of the aircraft after the incident revealed no anomalies with respect to the aircraft or its systems.
Related Occurrences
Midwest Express Airlines (MWEA) DC9 aircraft have experienced elevator control difficulties on two other occasions. Those departures also occurred in rain, with temperatures of 46 degrees Fahrenheit and 39 degrees Fahrenheit respectively. On one of these occurrences, MWEA maintenance personnel found ice accretions in the elevator control bay of the vertical stabilizer.
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