Narrative:

On short turn on last departure for the day, we had a flap malfunction on taxi in. Flaps stuck full down. First officer failed to observe no flap retraction during after landing checklist. We had short turn in txk. I (captain) stayed in the aircraft to prepare for departure and got clearance. First officer exited aircraft to go to restroom. On first officer return she did walk around and reboarded aircraft. She failed to see flaps in full down confign. On taxi out although we did run the before takeoff checklist, both captain and first officer failed to observe flap indicator full down although we found flap selector in the proper full up position. On takeoff (first officer flying) the aircraft became airborne at vr but in an abnormal nose low attitude. I immediately idented that the flaps were full down and that the selector was up. I took control of the aircraft accelerated to a safe flaps up speed. I did not know whether the flaps would stay full down or start retracting on their own and thought best to leave flap selector in its present flaps up position. We circled around and returned for an uneventful landing. This incident occurred on the third day of a 3 day trip. Contributing factors. Low time inexperienced first officer not seeing flap retraction on after landing checklist, and not seeing abnormal flap confign on walk around. Captain seeing selector in up position but not indicator during before takeoff checklist. The position indicator may have been obscured from captain's view by weight and balance form stuck in vspd FLIP cards on power quadrant. Captain's fatigue last day of 3 day trip. First day 7:15 flight time, actual flight time 8:21 hours. Scheduled rest was 9:05 actual rest was 9:03. Flight time second day was scheduled for 7:35 min, actual flight time was 9:10 hour. Rest second night was scheduled 8:15, actual rest was 8:01 hour. Scheduled flight time third day was 3:00 hour, actual flight time was 4:65 hour. Company's consistent abuse of flight time rest regulations and emphasis is on time departures. Also company's very optimistic idea of flight times from departure point to destinations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF SMT COMMUTER TOOK OFF WITH FULL FLAPS EXTENDED.

Narrative: ON SHORT TURN ON LAST DEP FOR THE DAY, WE HAD A FLAP MALFUNCTION ON TAXI IN. FLAPS STUCK FULL DOWN. FO FAILED TO OBSERVE NO FLAP RETRACTION DURING AFTER LNDG CHKLIST. WE HAD SHORT TURN IN TXK. I (CAPT) STAYED IN THE ACFT TO PREPARE FOR DEP AND GOT CLRNC. FO EXITED ACFT TO GO TO RESTROOM. ON FO RETURN SHE DID WALK AROUND AND REBOARDED ACFT. SHE FAILED TO SEE FLAPS IN FULL DOWN CONFIGN. ON TAXI OUT ALTHOUGH WE DID RUN THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, BOTH CAPT AND FO FAILED TO OBSERVE FLAP INDICATOR FULL DOWN ALTHOUGH WE FOUND FLAP SELECTOR IN THE PROPER FULL UP POS. ON TKOF (FO FLYING) THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AT VR BUT IN AN ABNORMAL NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. I IMMEDIATELY IDENTED THAT THE FLAPS WERE FULL DOWN AND THAT THE SELECTOR WAS UP. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT ACCELERATED TO A SAFE FLAPS UP SPD. I DID NOT KNOW WHETHER THE FLAPS WOULD STAY FULL DOWN OR START RETRACTING ON THEIR OWN AND THOUGHT BEST TO LEAVE FLAP SELECTOR IN ITS PRESENT FLAPS UP POS. WE CIRCLED AROUND AND RETURNED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE THIRD DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. LOW TIME INEXPERIENCED FO NOT SEEING FLAP RETRACTION ON AFTER LNDG CHKLIST, AND NOT SEEING ABNORMAL FLAP CONFIGN ON WALK AROUND. CAPT SEEING SELECTOR IN UP POS BUT NOT INDICATOR DURING BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. THE POS INDICATOR MAY HAVE BEEN OBSCURED FROM CAPT'S VIEW BY WT AND BALANCE FORM STUCK IN VSPD FLIP CARDS ON PWR QUADRANT. CAPT'S FATIGUE LAST DAY OF 3 DAY TRIP. FIRST DAY 7:15 FLT TIME, ACTUAL FLT TIME 8:21 HRS. SCHEDULED REST WAS 9:05 ACTUAL REST WAS 9:03. FLT TIME SECOND DAY WAS SCHEDULED FOR 7:35 MIN, ACTUAL FLT TIME WAS 9:10 HR. REST SECOND NIGHT WAS SCHEDULED 8:15, ACTUAL REST WAS 8:01 HR. SCHEDULED FLT TIME THIRD DAY WAS 3:00 HR, ACTUAL FLT TIME WAS 4:65 HR. COMPANY'S CONSISTENT ABUSE OF FLT TIME REST REGULATIONS AND EMPHASIS IS ON TIME DEPS. ALSO COMPANY'S VERY OPTIMISTIC IDEA OF FLT TIMES FROM DEP POINT TO DESTS.

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.