Air carrier large transport pushes back from gate with flap partially extended.

Attributes
ACN	156593
Time
Date	199009
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll
State Reference	FL
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	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 7700
ASRS Report	156593
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were having trouble with an inoperative fuel gauge which was on the MEL, and also an inoperative fueling valve which was not on MEL, but had been worked on earlier by our mechanics at cleveland. The valve failed again in fll, and since we had no mechanics of our own on duty, and we were running late, I lowered the flaps, and had my F/east, and the fueling supervisor manually override the valve by reaching inside the wing leading edge devices, and unsticking the fueling valve to start the fueling process. Immediately after fueling was completed I told the ground crew to push us off the gate with the flaps still extended to 5 degree, to save time, and also so I would be sure that no untrained personnel (fuelers etc) were injured by retracting the flaps. I did not document the repeat discrepancy on the inoperative fuel valve, again, to save time. I planned to have maintenance look at it again in cleveland. During push back, an FAA inspector stopped the operation and asked us over the interphone why our flaps were down. Apparently he suspected a maintenance problem, or a security (hijack) alert. He did not seem satisfied with my explanation. I should have slowed down and done everything 'by the book'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT PUSHES BACK FROM GATE WITH FLAP PARTIALLY EXTENDED.

Narrative: WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH AN INOPERATIVE FUEL GAUGE WHICH WAS ON THE MEL, AND ALSO AN INOPERATIVE FUELING VALVE WHICH WAS NOT ON MEL, BUT HAD BEEN WORKED ON EARLIER BY OUR MECHS AT CLEVELAND. THE VALVE FAILED AGAIN IN FLL, AND SINCE WE HAD NO MECHS OF OUR OWN ON DUTY, AND WE WERE RUNNING LATE, I LOWERED THE FLAPS, AND HAD MY F/E, AND THE FUELING SUPVR MANUALLY OVERRIDE THE VALVE BY REACHING INSIDE THE WING LEADING EDGE DEVICES, AND UNSTICKING THE FUELING VALVE TO START THE FUELING PROCESS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER FUELING WAS COMPLETED I TOLD THE GND CREW TO PUSH US OFF THE GATE WITH THE FLAPS STILL EXTENDED TO 5 DEG, TO SAVE TIME, AND ALSO SO I WOULD BE SURE THAT NO UNTRAINED PERSONNEL (FUELERS ETC) WERE INJURED BY RETRACTING THE FLAPS. I DID NOT DOCUMENT THE REPEAT DISCREPANCY ON THE INOPERATIVE FUEL VALVE, AGAIN, TO SAVE TIME. I PLANNED TO HAVE MAINT LOOK AT IT AGAIN IN CLEVELAND. DURING PUSH BACK, AN FAA INSPECTOR STOPPED THE OPERATION AND ASKED US OVER THE INTERPHONE WHY OUR FLAPS WERE DOWN. APPARENTLY HE SUSPECTED A MAINT PROB, OR A SECURITY (HIJACK) ALERT. HE DID NOT SEEM SATISFIED WITH MY EXPLANATION. I SHOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN AND DONE EVERYTHING 'BY THE BOOK'.

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.