Narrative:

On a go around requested by stl tower because of less than required separation with company aircraft departing runway 12R, we experienced a structural failure of trailing edge flaps. We performed the non normal trailing edge flap checklist and landed. During post-flight inspection I discovered large sections of flaps ripped, torn, and hanging loose. Metal pieces broken and bent. A 6 ft section of fore flap was hanging 2 ft above the wing. I told our local operations people the airplane was grounded. I called dispatch and duty control maintenance and told them we would need parts from the factory to fix this one. I had a local customer service manager take pictures and asked her to hold them until requested. Local contract maintenance was called out. Somehow these actions caused the square that says report mechanical irregularities to be filled. This caused me to make my first mistake -- failure to record each mechanical irregularity that occurred during my flight as required by my flight operations manual. I was thinking maintenance would assess damage and record a complete description. But it was my responsibility to do so. I considered this flight abnormal, but from cockpit indications and flight characteristics, never felt it was in an emergency situation. We flew until near XA00 that night (4 more flts). The next day reviewing the manual I noticed that if what occurred was considered a flight control system malfunction or failure, I should have made immediate notification to the NTSB and FAA and deactivated the cockpit voice recorder after landing. This leads to my second mistake -- failure to preserve the cockpit voice recording. Changes to correct the situation in future: 1) realize that any discrepancy great or small is the responsibility of the captain to record it in the logbook. 2) use circuit breaker pull procedure to preserve cockpit voice recorder on any abnormal situation, including logbook notation as required by procedure until such time as it is determined if it is required. Note: this aircraft was not flown again until properly repaired, then was ferried to dal where it was x-rayed and inspected by FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG PIC ERROR ADMITTED IN NOT PROVIDING REQUIRED INFO FOR LOGBOOK IN COMPLIANCE WITH FARS IN INFLT CTL FAILURE THAT WAS EXPERIENCED PRIOR TO POSTFLT INSPECTION.

Narrative: ON A GAR REQUESTED BY STL TWR BECAUSE OF LESS THAN REQUIRED SEPARATION WITH COMPANY ACFT DEPARTING RWY 12R, WE EXPERIENCED A STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF TRAILING EDGE FLAPS. WE PERFORMED THE NON NORMAL TRAILING EDGE FLAP CHKLIST AND LANDED. DURING POST-FLT INSPECTION I DISCOVERED LARGE SECTIONS OF FLAPS RIPPED, TORN, AND HANGING LOOSE. METAL PIECES BROKEN AND BENT. A 6 FT SECTION OF FORE FLAP WAS HANGING 2 FT ABOVE THE WING. I TOLD OUR LCL OPS PEOPLE THE AIRPLANE WAS GNDED. I CALLED DISPATCH AND DUTY CTL MAINT AND TOLD THEM WE WOULD NEED PARTS FROM THE FACTORY TO FIX THIS ONE. I HAD A LCL CUSTOMER SVC MGR TAKE PICTURES AND ASKED HER TO HOLD THEM UNTIL REQUESTED. LCL CONTRACT MAINT WAS CALLED OUT. SOMEHOW THESE ACTIONS CAUSED THE SQUARE THAT SAYS RPT MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES TO BE FILLED. THIS CAUSED ME TO MAKE MY FIRST MISTAKE -- FAILURE TO RECORD EACH MECHANICAL IRREGULARITY THAT OCCURRED DURING MY FLT AS REQUIRED BY MY FLT OPS MANUAL. I WAS THINKING MAINT WOULD ASSESS DAMAGE AND RECORD A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION. BUT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SO. I CONSIDERED THIS FLT ABNORMAL, BUT FROM COCKPIT INDICATIONS AND FLT CHARACTERISTICS, NEVER FELT IT WAS IN AN EMER SIT. WE FLEW UNTIL NEAR XA00 THAT NIGHT (4 MORE FLTS). THE NEXT DAY REVIEWING THE MANUAL I NOTICED THAT IF WHAT OCCURRED WAS CONSIDERED A FLT CTL SYS MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE, I SHOULD HAVE MADE IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION TO THE NTSB AND FAA AND DEACTIVATED THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER AFTER LNDG. THIS LEADS TO MY SECOND MISTAKE -- FAILURE TO PRESERVE THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDING. CHANGES TO CORRECT THE SIT IN FUTURE: 1) REALIZE THAT ANY DISCREPANCY GREAT OR SMALL IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CAPT TO RECORD IT IN THE LOGBOOK. 2) USE CIRCUIT BREAKER PULL PROC TO PRESERVE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER ON ANY ABNORMAL SIT, INCLUDING LOGBOOK NOTATION AS REQUIRED BY PROC UNTIL SUCH TIME AS IT IS DETERMINED IF IT IS REQUIRED. NOTE: THIS ACFT WAS NOT FLOWN AGAIN UNTIL PROPERLY REPAIRED, THEN WAS FERRIED TO DAL WHERE IT WAS X-RAYED AND INSPECTED BY FAA.

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.