Narrative:

On an extended visual; I requested flaps 5. I noticed that the barber pole on the pfd speed tape seemed not to recede as the flaps extended towards the 5 position. I then looked at the flap position indicator and noticed the flaps were not moving. I verbalized that the flaps were still up while simultaneously disconnecting autopilot and autothrottles and speeding up to 210 KIAS. After communicating to approach that we were discontinuing the approach; the captain reached for the QRH. As he was doing this; we noticed that the flap position indicator showed that flaps were slightly less than 1. Very soon after noticing this; the flap position indicator indicated that the right flap had extended to just beyond the 1 position. The captain began executing the trailing edge flap asymmetry checklist. Our plan was to stay in holding and contact dispatch with the option of phone patching to include maintenance and perhaps a chief pilot on call into the discussion.as the captain was finishing the checklist; which had already referred him to consult the trailing edge flaps up checklist; we noticed that the flap position indicator for the right wing was 'fluttering.' I immediately remembered that the logbook had an entry from the night before indicating that a flap speed limit had been exceeded on arrival into [a different airport]. That information; paired with the other irregularities we were experiencing led me to believe that the right flap may have been structurally compromised and/or the flap asymmetry protection system had failed. I voiced that I felt we needed to get the aircraft on the ground with minimal delay. The captain agreed. Per the checklist; flaps 40 + 40 reference speed was calculated by looking at the recommended FMC speeds. A non-eventful landing ensued and the captain taxied the aircraft to the gate.as a learning experience for me; in the future I plan to fly an exaggerated crab for further deviation away from the approach corridor when there is a strong crosswind; especially with inbound traffic; as I believe it provides my own 'safety minimum' to prevent any condition that could introduce the possibility for being blown back toward the runway. I am also aware that in the future I can request ATC permit me to diverge from my heading; despite instructions to continue downwind heading; if I encounter flight conditions that require me to take my line of sight off of inbound or converging traffic. With unpredictable winds and inbound traffic; it may be more suitable to over exaggerate the crab angle so as to increase the perpendicular distance from the upwind or inbound course and eliminate any such possibility of aircraft convergence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 First Officer reported flap malfunction on approach. Executed an uneventful landing after consulting with maintenance and completing QRH procedures.

Narrative: On an extended visual; I requested flaps 5. I noticed that the barber pole on the PFD speed tape seemed not to recede as the flaps extended towards the 5 position. I then looked at the flap position indicator and noticed the flaps were not moving. I verbalized that the flaps were still up while simultaneously disconnecting autopilot and autothrottles and speeding up to 210 KIAS. After communicating to Approach that we were discontinuing the approach; the Captain reached for the QRH. As he was doing this; we noticed that the flap position indicator showed that flaps were slightly less than 1. Very soon after noticing this; the flap position indicator indicated that the right flap had extended to just beyond the 1 position. The Captain began executing the Trailing Edge Flap Asymmetry Checklist. Our plan was to stay in holding and contact Dispatch with the option of phone patching to include Maintenance and perhaps a Chief Pilot on Call into the discussion.As the Captain was finishing the checklist; which had already referred him to consult the Trailing Edge Flaps Up Checklist; we noticed that the Flap Position Indicator for the right wing was 'fluttering.' I immediately remembered that the logbook had an entry from the night before indicating that a flap speed limit had been exceeded on arrival into [a different airport]. That information; paired with the other irregularities we were experiencing led me to believe that the right flap may have been structurally compromised and/or the flap asymmetry protection system had failed. I voiced that I felt we needed to get the aircraft on the ground with minimal delay. The Captain agreed. Per the checklist; Flaps 40 + 40 reference speed was calculated by looking at the recommended FMC speeds. A non-eventful landing ensued and the Captain taxied the aircraft to the gate.As a learning experience for me; in the future I plan to fly an exaggerated crab for further deviation away from the approach corridor when there is a strong crosswind; especially with inbound traffic; as I believe it provides my own 'safety minimum' to prevent any condition that could introduce the possibility for being blown back toward the runway. I am also aware that in the future I can request ATC permit me to diverge from my heading; despite instructions to continue downwind heading; if I encounter flight conditions that require me to take my line of sight off of inbound or converging traffic. With unpredictable winds and inbound traffic; it may be more suitable to over exaggerate the crab angle so as to increase the perpendicular distance from the upwind or inbound course and eliminate any such possibility of aircraft convergence.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.