SAIB Focuses On B737 Horizontal Stabilizer De-Icing Procedures | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Thu, Aug 11, 2016

SAIB Focuses On B737 Horizontal Stabilizer De-Icing Procedures

Uncommanded Pitch-Up Event Reported On Approach

The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) concerning de-icing procedures of Boeing 737-600/-700/-700C/-800/-900/-900ER airplanes.

The SAIB was prompted a report from an operator of a Model 737-800 airplane of an uncommanded pitch-up event after intercepting the glide slope during a normal approach. The elevator failed to properly respond to autopilot commands, and the flight crew reported that the elevator responded only after higher column forces were applied.

It was determined that de-icing fluid can enter the tail cone during airplane de-icing with the horizontal stabilizer trimmed to the full leading-edge-up position. This fluid can then freeze around the elevator power control unit (PCU) input levers, restricting their movement. Boeing testing has shown that positioning the horizontal stabilizer in the green band range during de-icing will reduce the amount of fluid that can enter the tail cone through the elevator linkage side cutout.

Procedural changes have been made to the 737 Flight Crew Operations Manual (FCOM) D6-27370-TBC, dated September 25, 2014, and the Boeing 737-600/700/800/900 Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM), Task 12-33-01 “Cold Weather Maintenance Procedure,” dated October 15, 2014, to reduce the amount of fluid that can enter the tail cone through the elevator linkage side cutout. The revised FCOM procedure instructs the flight crew to position the horizontal stabilizer at the calculated take-off setting within the green band range for de-icing. The revised AMM procedure instructs maintenance personnel to position the horizontal stabilizer to five units of trim. Additional guidance for these procedures can be found in Boeing Fleet Team Digest 737NG-FTD-27-13005.

The FAA recommends that flight crews and maintenance technicians of the referenced airplanes follow the procedures outlined in the above service information.

(Image from file. Not incident airplane)

FMI: SAIB

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1

Airplane Bounced About 3 Ft Then Touched Back Down And Then, With No Brakes Applied, The Airplane Began Veering To The Left Analysis: The pilot entered the airport traffic pattern >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.08.25)

Aero Linx: British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) The primary focus within all aviation activity is SAFETY. In all aspects of our sport SAFETY must come first, whether it b>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Fly Corvair’s Reliable Engine Alternative

From SnF25 (YouTube Edition): William Wynne Builds Practical Aircraft Engines on the Corvair Platform Seeking an affordable alternative to the traditional aircraft engine options, >[...]

ANN FAQ: Contributing To Aero-TV

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: CiES Fuel-Quantity and e-Throttle Systems Praised

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Bridge of CiES CiES Inc. is a Bend, Oregon-based designer and manufacturer of modular embedded aircraft systems and sensors. The company’s fuel-l>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC