Narrative:

As we taxied out I commanded first officer to lower flaps to 15 degrees. The leading edge flaps went to all extended position and the outbnd trailing edge flaps went to 15 degrees. But, the inbound flaps remained at 0. I had the second officer visually check the flaps and he confirmed inbound trailing edge flaps full up. We then cycled flaps with the same result. Returned to the gate with flap handle in 15 degree position. West/O doing anything the inbound flaps spontaneously went to 15 degrees so we taxied out and flew an uneventful flight. Maintenance (unavoidable) on the ground at gfk, stated in minneapolis that the flap indicator was the problem. It supposedly sensed a false asymmetry and wouldn't allow either set of inbnds to extend. This sounds similar to crash at dfw--hope it sheds some light on their case--it can happen!! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: we had gone back to the gate when the flaps corrected themselves. We recycled once more and flaps were normal and indications were normal, so we proceeded with our flight west/O further incidence. Alpa is making study of this aircraft's flaps system and has documented over 100 instances similar to mine. Article in 3/89 issue of alpa magazine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ASYMMETRICAL FLAPS DETECTED DURING TAXI. RECYCLED FLAPS, NO CHANGE. TAXIED BACK, FLAPS READJUSTED THEMSELVES TO NORMAL CONFIGN. FLT CONTINUED, NO INCIDENT.

Narrative: AS WE TAXIED OUT I COMMANDED F/O TO LOWER FLAPS TO 15 DEGS. THE LEADING EDGE FLAPS WENT TO ALL EXTENDED POS AND THE OUTBND TRAILING EDGE FLAPS WENT TO 15 DEGS. BUT, THE INBND FLAPS REMAINED AT 0. I HAD THE S/O VISUALLY CHK THE FLAPS AND HE CONFIRMED INBND TRAILING EDGE FLAPS FULL UP. WE THEN CYCLED FLAPS WITH THE SAME RESULT. RETURNED TO THE GATE WITH FLAP HANDLE IN 15 DEG POS. W/O DOING ANYTHING THE INBND FLAPS SPONTANEOUSLY WENT TO 15 DEGS SO WE TAXIED OUT AND FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL FLT. MAINT (UNAVOIDABLE) ON THE GND AT GFK, STATED IN MINNEAPOLIS THAT THE FLAP INDICATOR WAS THE PROB. IT SUPPOSEDLY SENSED A FALSE ASYMMETRY AND WOULDN'T ALLOW EITHER SET OF INBNDS TO EXTEND. THIS SOUNDS SIMILAR TO CRASH AT DFW--HOPE IT SHEDS SOME LIGHT ON THEIR CASE--IT CAN HAPPEN!! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: WE HAD GONE BACK TO THE GATE WHEN THE FLAPS CORRECTED THEMSELVES. WE RECYCLED ONCE MORE AND FLAPS WERE NORMAL AND INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL, SO WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR FLT W/O FURTHER INCIDENCE. ALPA IS MAKING STUDY OF THIS ACFT'S FLAPS SYS AND HAS DOCUMENTED OVER 100 INSTANCES SIMILAR TO MINE. ARTICLE IN 3/89 ISSUE OF ALPA MAGAZINE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.