Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Troubleshooting; Distraction; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Procedure
I was pilot not flying on a day VFR flight. Normal flight through FL220 then both Pitch Trim channels failed. This was our second leg with this aircraft and we encountered a similar malfunction during the previous leg. We ran appropriate QRH procedure to reset the Pitch Trim channels. We were unable to recover either channel so after a brief conversation with Dispatch and Maintenance Control via ACARS we decided to divert. We chose the divert airport because it was 50 miles away as we were in a nose-down pitch setting and uncertain of the condition of our horizontal stabilizer because of some poorly explained stabilizer faults on the CMC by Line Maintenance in the previous station who 'ops checked good' the same malfunction during our previous flight. Declared emergency and set up for a visual to [Runway] 18C. Pilot flying did an excellent job flying the approach and taxied to gate without incident.Loss of pitch trim was our threat which compounded into other threats. No autopilot; no pitch trim; no speedbrakes; very high Vref speeds per QRH; Excessive back pressure required to remain stable as we slowed to approach speed.
The reporter stated that the Pitch Trim Control Unit was replaced which returned that aircraft to service. There were no previous similar discrepancy in the logbook which he had available.
An EMB-145 CAS alerted both PITCH TRIM channels failed so an emergency was declared and the flight diverted. The crew had no autopilot; pitch trim or speedbrakes; and excessive back pressure was required to remain stable as they slowed to a very high Vref speed.