A BEECH 400A ON TKOF CLB AT 2000 FT DIVERTED DUE TO RUDDER TRIM UNCOMMANDED TO FULL RIGHT TRIM AND PITCH TRIM FAILED.
Synopsis
A BEECH 400A ON TKOF CLB AT 2000 FT DIVERTED DUE TO RUDDER TRIM UNCOMMANDED TO FULL RIGHT TRIM AND PITCH TRIM FAILED.
Narrative
ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 29L TO FLY RWY HEADING TO 2000 FT. AFTER NORMAL TKOF AND COMPLETION OF THE AFTER-TKOF CHKLIST; TWR ADVISED TO CONTACT DEP. INITIAL DEP CTLR INSTRUCTED CLB TO 5000 FT. DURING CLB FROM 2000 FT TO 5000 FT AND ACCELERATING TO 250 KTS; FLYING PLT (WHILE HAND FLYING) AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED HEADING NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WAS TURNING TO THE R AND NOTIFIED NON-FLYING PLT THERE WAS SOME PROB WITH THE FLT CTLS. SIMULTANEOUSLY; ATC CALLED TO CHANGE OUR FREQ. AT THIS TIME NON-FLYING PLT CALMLY REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS BACK TO ZZZ. ATC ASKED; 'ARE YOU DECLARING AN EMER?' WE WERE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE PROB. THERE WAS NO AURAL OR VISUAL WARNING (INDICATING LIGHTS) TO HELP US DIAGNOSE THE SIT. WE DECIDED NOT TO DECLARE AN EMER; JUST TO ASK FOR VECTORS BACK TO ZZZ ATC ADVISED US TO TURN R TO 270. WHEN NON-FLYING PLT QUERIED THIS INSTRUCTIONS ATC THEN ADVISED TO TURN TO 090 AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED. NON-FLYING PLT ADVISED PASSENGERS WE WERE HAVING A MECHANICAL PROB; AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO GO BACK TO THE ARPT; AND TO PLEASE FASTEN THEIR SEAT BELTS; AND WE WOULD EXPLAIN MORE ONCE WE LANDED. AT THE SAME TIME; WE COMPLETED ALL THE ITEMS IN THE RWY RUDDER TRIM CHKLIST. AS WE DID SO; FLYING PLT ADVISED PITCH TRIM WAS NOT RESPONDING. AFTER COMPLETING THAT APPROPRIATE CHKLIST; AT THIS POINT; OUR MAIN CONCERN WAS TO CTL THE ACFT. BOTH PLTS WERE ON FULL LEFT RUDDER AND THE YOKE. AT THIS TIME; WE WERE AGAIN; HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ASSIGNED HEADING AND ALTITUDE. NON-FLYING PLT ADVISED ATC WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ASSIGNED HEADING AND ALTITUDE. ATC ADVISED WE TRY A HEADING OF 120. WE WERE ASSIGNED 3000 FT; THEN 2000 FT. IT WAS DIFFICULT; EVEN WITH BOTH PLTS ON THE CTLS; TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND HEADING. WE TRIED SEVERAL THINGS TO EASE OPPOSING CTL FORCES; SUCH AS THE USE OF DIFFERENTIAL THRUST; RELEASING AND REENGAGING THE YAW DAMPER; AND SPEED CHANGES. AS WE SLOWED; WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN A LITTLE MORE CTL; HOWEVER; IT BEGAN TO CAUSE US TO LOSE ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. ALSO; WE HAD A TFC ALERT; THEN A RESOLUTION ALERT ON THE TCAS. WE HAD TO ADD MORE POWER TO CLB; WHICH MADE THE ACFT ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT TO CTL. WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND REPLIED AFFIRMATIVELY TO ATC WHEN ASKED. ATC THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 29L. ONCE AGAIN; WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO SLOW DOWN ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND; THE AIRPLANE WAS MORE STABILIZED. WE COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. BOTH PLTS WERE STILL FLYING THE ACFT TO HOLD OPPOSING CTL FORCES. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE RUDDER TRIM AND PITCH TRIM WAS CHKED DURING THE PREFLT CHK AND AGAIN BEFORE TKOF AND BOTH WERE OPERATING NORMALLY. THE RPTR SAID CLBING THROUGH 2000 FT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TURNING TO THE RIGHT AND REQUIRED BOTH PLTS ON THE RUDDER PEDALS TO MAINTAIN HEADING. THE RPTR STATED THE PITCH TRIM WAS NOW NOTED TO HAVE FAILED AND REQUIRED BOTH PLTS ON THE RUDDER PEDALS AND YOKE. THE RPTR SAID THERE IS NO BACKUP SYS FOR THE RUDDER TRIM BUT THE PITCH TRIM HAS AN ALTERNATE ACTUATOR. THE RPTR STATED ON RETURN TO THE ARPT IT WAS DISCOVERED THE RUDDER TRIM PEDESTAL SWITCH CTL HAD FAILED INTERNALLY; DRIVING THE TRIM MOTOR TO FULL R. THE RPTR SAID THE CAUSE OF THE PITCH TRIM FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN RPTED BY MAINT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.