Horizontal Stabilizer
My 2 cents worth. First I like the post by Machinbird. When it comes to controls, if it doesn't feel right, land the plane. Had I been flying that DC-9, it would have been put on the ground much earlier. I wouldn't give a heck what the company wanted, I'm flying, not the company or anyone in the company.
About the design, if the hinge was placed at the leading edge of the stab and the screwjack at the trailing edge, this accident would not have happened. Why they designed it the other way around, I don't know.
Having said that, there is NO excuse for bad maintenance. People's lives are at stake. If I remember correctly, the FAA inspector did warn of shoddy work and was told to "shut up" or be transferred. People should have gone to jail over this incident. So what happened? Today, 4 people are going to jail over the 737 crash. There has to be accountability. The same for the Nation Air DC-8 crash. There should have been jail terms. Too many managers getting away with crap.