Narrative:

The event I would like to bring to your attention is the later than desired recognition of a flap malfunction. We returned to the gate where maintenance personnel performed the required actions for a generator inoperative dispatch, one of which was to pull and collar a pack cooling fan circuit breaker. We again departed the gate using 'generator inoperative dispatch' procedures. The generator inoperative dispatch procedure calls for single air conditioning pack operation through ground operations and takeoff until after flap retraction. Because of the high temperature, humidity and single pack operation I was anxious to see the flaps retracted so that I could turn on the second pack to cool down the aircraft and ensure proper pressurization. After the flaps were commanded up, I was satisfied with what I saw to turn on the second AC pack. The flaps were commanded up and the flap handle was in the up position, the led indicator light was out, and a flap position indicator showed the flaps were in the up position. What I did not see was that the other flap position indicator was indicating that the inboard flaps were still in the 15 degree position. The captain, PF, made mention of the somewhat degraded climb performance of the aft and said something to the effect that the OAT was higher than what we had been used to. Approaching FL200 the captain indicated that he felt something was not right and asked if all the checklists were complete, at which point the first officer noticed the flap position. The flaps were in fact as indicated in the cockpit; the led's were up, the left and right outboard flaps were up, and the inboard flaps were at 15 degrees. We decided to set the flap lever to 15 degrees and attempt to raise the flaps again, but again the inboards did not move up the outboards. Following the checklist procedures for abnormal flaps we used the alternate flap extension procedure to extend the outboard flaps to 30 degrees while leaving the inboards at 15. The descent, approach and landing were uneventful. At no time did we declare an emergency. On arrival at the gate FAA officials were present and were somehow under the impression that we had executed an emergency descent from FL330.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT DIVERTS AND LANDS DUE TO A TRAILING EDGE FLAP PROBLEM.

Narrative: THE EVENT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTN IS THE LATER THAN DESIRED RECOGNITION OF A FLAP MALFUNCTION. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE WHERE MAINT PERSONNEL PERFORMED THE REQUIRED ACTIONS FOR A GENERATOR INOP DISPATCH, ONE OF WHICH WAS TO PULL AND COLLAR A PACK COOLING FAN CB. WE AGAIN DEPARTED THE GATE USING 'GENERATOR INOP DISPATCH' PROCS. THE GENERATOR INOP DISPATCH PROC CALLS FOR SINGLE AIR CONDITIONING PACK OPERATION THROUGH GND OPS AND TKOF UNTIL AFTER FLAP RETRACTION. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH TEMP, HUMIDITY AND SINGLE PACK OPERATION I WAS ANXIOUS TO SEE THE FLAPS RETRACTED SO THAT I COULD TURN ON THE SECOND PACK TO COOL DOWN THE ACFT AND ENSURE PROPER PRESSURIZATION. AFTER THE FLAPS WERE COMMANDED UP, I WAS SATISFIED WITH WHAT I SAW TO TURN ON THE SECOND AC PACK. THE FLAPS WERE COMMANDED UP AND THE FLAP HANDLE WAS IN THE UP POS, THE LED INDICATOR LIGHT WAS OUT, AND A FLAP POS INDICATOR SHOWED THE FLAPS WERE IN THE UP POS. WHAT I DID NOT SEE WAS THAT THE OTHER FLAP POS INDICATOR WAS INDICATING THAT THE INBOARD FLAPS WERE STILL IN THE 15 DEG POS. THE CAPT, PF, MADE MENTION OF THE SOMEWHAT DEGRADED CLB PERFORMANCE OF THE AFT AND SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT THE OAT WAS HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAD BEEN USED TO. APCHING FL200 THE CAPT INDICATED THAT HE FELT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT AND ASKED IF ALL THE CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE, AT WHICH POINT THE F/O NOTICED THE FLAP POS. THE FLAPS WERE IN FACT AS INDICATED IN THE COCKPIT; THE LED'S WERE UP, THE LEFT AND RIGHT OUTBOARD FLAPS WERE UP, AND THE INBOARD FLAPS WERE AT 15 DEGS. WE DECIDED TO SET THE FLAP LEVER TO 15 DEGS AND ATTEMPT TO RAISE THE FLAPS AGAIN, BUT AGAIN THE INBOARDS DID NOT MOVE UP THE OUTBOARDS. FOLLOWING THE CHKLIST PROCS FOR ABNORMAL FLAPS WE USED THE ALTERNATE FLAP EXTENSION PROC TO EXTEND THE OUTBOARD FLAPS TO 30 DEGS WHILE LEAVING THE INBOARDS AT 15. THE DSNT, APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. AT NO TIME DID WE DECLARE AN EMER. ON ARR AT THE GATE FAA OFFICIALS WERE PRESENT AND WERE SOMEHOW UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD EXECUTED AN EMER DSNT FROM FL330.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.