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October 10, 2001 · Boeing 737-700 · N615AS

Santa Ana, CA

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Incident
Date
October 10, 2001
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (87 uninjured)
Location
Santa Ana, CA
Aircraft
Boeing 737-700
Tail Number
N615AS
Injuries
None
NTSB Number
LAX02IA002

The flight crew experienced a jammed horizontal stabilizer trim actuator during the takeoff initial climb. The pilot reported that after takeoff, during climb out, the "STAB OUT OF TRIM" annunciator light illuminated. The crew disengaged the autopilot and found the electric trim control inoperative at both the pilot and co-pilot positions, and the manual trim control was jammed and immovable. The crew leveled the airplane at 13,000 feet and accomplished the "Stabilizer Out of Trim" and "Jammed Stabilizer" checklists to no avail. The crew declared an emergency with air traffic control, and made an otherwise uneventful landing at Los Angeles. According to the pilot, the trim manual control was jammed and immobile. Post flight examination revealed the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator motor was seized. The actuator motor was subsequently replaced with a serviceable unit, and the aircraft was ferried to Seattle for inspection. No other faults were found in the pitch trim system and the airplane was returned to service. Further examination of the actuator motor revealed that the motor was mechanically seized. According to a representative of Boeing Aircraft Company, with the motor seized, in order to manually trim the stabilizer, it would have been necessary for the flight crew to exert sufficient force on the trim wheel to cause the motor clutch to slip in addition to the force necessary to overcome normal system friction.

NTSB Probable Cause

The failure of the stabilizer electric trim motor as a result of internal mechanical seizure.

Full Narrative

On October 10, 2001, at 1627 hours Pacific daylight time, Alaska Airlines flight 497, a Boeing 737-700, N615AS, experienced a jammed horizontal stabilizer trim actuator during the takeoff initial climb from the John Wayne Airport-Orange County, Santa Ana, California. The flight was destined for Seattle, Washington; however, the flight crew diverted to, and landed at, Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California, at 1658. The airline transport certificated pilot, the remaining 4 crewmembers, and 82 passengers were not injured, and the airplane was not damaged. The flight was operated by Alaska Airlines, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 121, as flight 497, a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight. The flight was operating on a instrument flight plan and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot reported that after takeoff, during climb out, the "STAB OUT OF TRIM" annunciator light illuminated. The crew disengaged the autopilot and found the electric trim control inoperative at both the pilot and co-pilot controls and the manual trim control was jammed and immovable. The crew leveled the airplane at 13,000 feet and accomplished the "Stabilizer Out of Trim" and "Jammed Stabilizer" checklists to no avail. After conferring by radio with their company maintenance personnel at Los Angeles, the decision was made to land there. The crew declared an emergency with air traffic control and made an otherwise uneventful landing at Los Angeles. According to the pilot, maintenance personnel who met the airplane on arrival could not move the stabilizer control either and believed the actuator gearbox was jammed. In a subsequent company interview, on November 13, 2001, the pilot reiterated that the trim manual control had been jammed and immobile; neither he, the first officer (co-pilot) or the mechanics who met the flight, were able to force it to move. The pilot said he had trained for the jammed stabilizer emergency in the simulator; however, in the incident at hand he had applied "a lot more force" than was required in the simulator and was still unable to move the manual control. Post flight examination revealed the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator motor was seized. The actuator motor was replaced with a serviceable unit and the aircraft was ferried to Seattle for inspection. No other faults were found in the pitch trim system and the airplane was returned to service. Further examination of the actuator motor revealed that the motor was mechanically seized. According to a representative of Boeing Aircraft Company, with the motor seized, in order to manually trim the stabilizer, it would have been necessary for the flight crew to have exerted sufficient force on the trim wheel to cause the motor clutch to slip in addition to the force necessary to overcome normal system friction.

Flight

Event TypeIncident
Event Time16:27 PDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledIFR
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftBoeing 737-700
Tail NumberN615AS
Aircraft CategoryAir
Operating RulePart 121
Engines2
Engine TypeTurbofan
Engine DetailsCfm International · CFM 56-7B24 · Turbofan · 24000
Seats129

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (87 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured87
Total87
Crew 1Age 42 · First Class · None
Crew 2Age 37 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind240° @ 6 kt
Visibility7 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point70 F / 61 F
Altimeter29.96 inHg
Observation Time00:53
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data