First officer reset flap position during takeoff roll.

Attributes
ACN	113870
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 12000
ASRS Report	113870
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	113727
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During takeoff roll, the first officer realized that he had set the flaps to 5 and had figured the data at flaps 1. Although the aircraft weight was well under the takeoff weight limit for flaps 5, he was not sure. Without asking the captain, he changed the flaps to 1 while on takeoff roll. This put the captain in the unenviable position of deciding to abort or continue the takeoff. Because I knew we were legal at that weight for either flap setting, I continued the takeoff. After the takeoff, the captain very strongly explained that changing the flaps during takeoff roll was stupid and should never be attempted, much less without the captain's command!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO RESET FLAP POSITION DURING TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: DURING TKOF ROLL, THE F/O REALIZED THAT HE HAD SET THE FLAPS TO 5 AND HAD FIGURED THE DATA AT FLAPS 1. ALTHOUGH THE ACFT WEIGHT WAS WELL UNDER THE TKOF WEIGHT LIMIT FOR FLAPS 5, HE WAS NOT SURE. WITHOUT ASKING THE CAPT, HE CHANGED THE FLAPS TO 1 WHILE ON TKOF ROLL. THIS PUT THE CAPT IN THE UNENVIABLE POSITION OF DECIDING TO ABORT OR CONTINUE THE TKOF. BECAUSE I KNEW WE WERE LEGAL AT THAT WEIGHT FOR EITHER FLAP SETTING, I CONTINUED THE TKOF. AFTER THE TKOF, THE CAPT VERY STRONGLY EXPLAINED THAT CHANGING THE FLAPS DURING TKOF ROLL WAS STUPID AND SHOULD NEVER BE ATTEMPTED, MUCH LESS WITHOUT THE CAPT'S COMMAND!

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.