Narrative:

After passing the final approach fix to runway 27 at iah, thunderstorms moved over the field and approach course from the west. Encountered heavy rain and turbulence. Executed a missed approach at about 1000' AGL and made an immediate left turn to avoid WX. During missed approach it was noticed that inboard trailing edge flaps had not retracted past 15 degrees. The outboard flaps and leading edge devices were all up and locked. No unusual vibration was felt and it was assumed the inboard flap gauge had failed. When it was finally determined that the inboard flaps were indeed extended, the flap limitation of 205 KTS for 15 degrees had been exceeded. On arrival at our alternate, the flaps extended normally and a normal landing was made. After landing at crp, the flaps extended normally and a normal landing was made. After landing at crp, the flaps were cycled numerous times west/O incident--operations normal in all respects. Maintenance personnel inspected the flaps for possible overspd damage. No abnormalities were found. Upon improvement of the WX at iah, flight crew redispatched. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that after flaps were recognized as being extended an attempt was made to retract them electrically, without success. A normal approach was made into the alternate airport and flaps extended normally. An 'on the ground' inspection was made by maintenance personnel for any possible damage to the flap system and the log book reflected a write up as 'inspect flaps for damage. In-flight speed limits with flaps extended were exceeded.' the write-up was signed off as no damage found. The flaps had been exercised and seemed to operate properly. No previous history. No explanation could be found by ground crew. Supplemental information from acn 111621: inbound on the ILS 27 localizer past the final approach fix, thunderstorms were building over the airport. At approximately 1000' AGL we went missed approach to 1500' AGL and turned left to avoid the worst of the build-ups. During the missed we noticed that the inboard trailing edge flaps had north ot retracted past 15 degrees. All other trailing and leading edge devices were up. We checked all other indicators and at that point could not tell through vibration or aircraft handling that the flaps were actually stuck down, so we assumed that they were up. Later on, when there was time, I visually inspected the flaps and found the inboards to be down. The aircraft was now level at FL200 and the airspeed limitation of 205 KTS for 15 degree flaps had been exceeded. Upon our arrival to crp, during the approach, the flaps extended normally and a normal landing was made. While on the ground in crp the flaps were cycled numerous times and they worked great. Maintenance did an inspection for possible overspd damage and there was none noted. Once the WX improved in hou we headed back with a normal, uneventful flight. As a crew, I feel we did an outstanding job throughout the event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW ASSUMED THAT THE FLAP INDICATOR WAS INOPERATIVE AND EXCEEDED FLAP OPERATING SPEED.

Narrative: AFTER PASSING THE FINAL APCH FIX TO RWY 27 AT IAH, TSTMS MOVED OVER THE FIELD AND APCH COURSE FROM THE W. ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN AND TURB. EXECUTED A MISSED APCH AT ABOUT 1000' AGL AND MADE AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN TO AVOID WX. DURING MISSED APCH IT WAS NOTICED THAT INBOARD TRAILING EDGE FLAPS HAD NOT RETRACTED PAST 15 DEGS. THE OUTBOARD FLAPS AND LEADING EDGE DEVICES WERE ALL UP AND LOCKED. NO UNUSUAL VIBRATION WAS FELT AND IT WAS ASSUMED THE INBOARD FLAP GAUGE HAD FAILED. WHEN IT WAS FINALLY DETERMINED THAT THE INBOARD FLAPS WERE INDEED EXTENDED, THE FLAP LIMITATION OF 205 KTS FOR 15 DEGS HAD BEEN EXCEEDED. ON ARR AT OUR ALTERNATE, THE FLAPS EXTENDED NORMALLY AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. AFTER LNDG AT CRP, THE FLAPS EXTENDED NORMALLY AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. AFTER LNDG AT CRP, THE FLAPS WERE CYCLED NUMEROUS TIMES W/O INCIDENT--OPS NORMAL IN ALL RESPECTS. MAINT PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE FLAPS FOR POSSIBLE OVERSPD DAMAGE. NO ABNORMALITIES WERE FOUND. UPON IMPROVEMENT OF THE WX AT IAH, FLT CREW REDISPATCHED. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT AFTER FLAPS WERE RECOGNIZED AS BEING EXTENDED AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RETRACT THEM ELECTRICALLY, WITHOUT SUCCESS. A NORMAL APCH WAS MADE INTO THE ALTERNATE ARPT AND FLAPS EXTENDED NORMALLY. AN 'ON THE GND' INSPECTION WAS MADE BY MAINT PERSONNEL FOR ANY POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE FLAP SYS AND THE LOG BOOK REFLECTED A WRITE UP AS 'INSPECT FLAPS FOR DAMAGE. INFLT SPD LIMITS WITH FLAPS EXTENDED WERE EXCEEDED.' THE WRITE-UP WAS SIGNED OFF AS NO DAMAGE FOUND. THE FLAPS HAD BEEN EXERCISED AND SEEMED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. NO PREVIOUS HISTORY. NO EXPLANATION COULD BE FOUND BY GND CREW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 111621: INBND ON THE ILS 27 LOC PAST THE FINAL APCH FIX, TSTMS WERE BUILDING OVER THE ARPT. AT APPROX 1000' AGL WE WENT MISSED APCH TO 1500' AGL AND TURNED LEFT TO AVOID THE WORST OF THE BUILD-UPS. DURING THE MISSED WE NOTICED THAT THE INBOARD TRAILING EDGE FLAPS HAD N OT RETRACTED PAST 15 DEGS. ALL OTHER TRAILING AND LEADING EDGE DEVICES WERE UP. WE CHKED ALL OTHER INDICATORS AND AT THAT POINT COULD NOT TELL THROUGH VIBRATION OR ACFT HANDLING THAT THE FLAPS WERE ACTUALLY STUCK DOWN, SO WE ASSUMED THAT THEY WERE UP. LATER ON, WHEN THERE WAS TIME, I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE FLAPS AND FOUND THE INBOARDS TO BE DOWN. THE ACFT WAS NOW LEVEL AT FL200 AND THE AIRSPD LIMITATION OF 205 KTS FOR 15 DEG FLAPS HAD BEEN EXCEEDED. UPON OUR ARR TO CRP, DURING THE APCH, THE FLAPS EXTENDED NORMALLY AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. WHILE ON THE GND IN CRP THE FLAPS WERE CYCLED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY WORKED GREAT. MAINT DID AN INSPECTION FOR POSSIBLE OVERSPD DAMAGE AND THERE WAS NONE NOTED. ONCE THE WX IMPROVED IN HOU WE HEADED BACK WITH A NORMAL, UNEVENTFUL FLT. AS A CREW, I FEEL WE DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB THROUGHOUT THE EVENT.

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.