Narrative:

On climb out hkg at 3100 ft MSL and normal profile, captain called flaps up. First officer retracted flaps and slats. Airspeed too low for slat retraction. Next indication was red boxed airspeed on pfd with stickshaker activation. Captain called for slats extended. First officer had problem extending slats due to new latch gate and complex slat handle mechanism. Slats were extended after about 10 seconds, with 2 intermittent stall warnings. I recommend to modify slat gate to prevent unintended slat retraction during critical phase of flight. Slat system also has an automatic slat extension feature on the md-11 that activates at stickshaker. The outboard slats extend, but they retract 5 seconds later before the condition can be corrected. I feel the system should be modified to keep the slats extended until the pilot wants them retracted with safe airspeed. Supplemental information from acn 267003: the airspeed was above the flaps up airspeed annunciated on the primary flight display, but below the slat retract airspeed. The first officer inadvertently pushed the flap handle all the way down into the slat retract detent. Due to a recent modification of the md-11 flap/slat handle, the slats could not be redeployed as quickly as desired. The first officer had to actually re-stow the slats in order to relieve pressure on the spring loaded handle meant to prevent unintentional slat activation. We were operating temporarily in an unsafe condition. Recommended solution: modify the spring loaded latch that holds the slat handle from inadvertently extending the slats so that you have to physically move it aside to either extend or retract the slats.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD-11 FREIGHTER CREW INADVERTENTLY RETRACTED ITS SLATS BELOW A SAFE SPD.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT HKG AT 3100 FT MSL AND NORMAL PROFILE, CAPT CALLED FLAPS UP. FO RETRACTED FLAPS AND SLATS. AIRSPD TOO LOW FOR SLAT RETRACTION. NEXT INDICATION WAS RED BOXED AIRSPD ON PFD WITH STICKSHAKER ACTIVATION. CAPT CALLED FOR SLATS EXTENDED. FO HAD PROB EXTENDING SLATS DUE TO NEW LATCH GATE AND COMPLEX SLAT HANDLE MECHANISM. SLATS WERE EXTENDED AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS, WITH 2 INTERMITTENT STALL WARNINGS. I RECOMMEND TO MODIFY SLAT GATE TO PREVENT UNINTENDED SLAT RETRACTION DURING CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. SLAT SYS ALSO HAS AN AUTO SLAT EXTENSION FEATURE ON THE MD-11 THAT ACTIVATES AT STICKSHAKER. THE OUTBOARD SLATS EXTEND, BUT THEY RETRACT 5 SECONDS LATER BEFORE THE CONDITION CAN BE CORRECTED. I FEEL THE SYS SHOULD BE MODIFIED TO KEEP THE SLATS EXTENDED UNTIL THE PLT WANTS THEM RETRACTED WITH SAFE AIRSPD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 267003: THE AIRSPD WAS ABOVE THE FLAPS UP AIRSPD ANNUNCIATED ON THE PRIMARY FLT DISPLAY, BUT BELOW THE SLAT RETRACT AIRSPD. THE FO INADVERTENTLY PUSHED THE FLAP HANDLE ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE SLAT RETRACT DETENT. DUE TO A RECENT MODIFICATION OF THE MD-11 FLAP/SLAT HANDLE, THE SLATS COULD NOT BE REDEPLOYED AS QUICKLY AS DESIRED. THE FO HAD TO ACTUALLY RE-STOW THE SLATS IN ORDER TO RELIEVE PRESSURE ON THE SPRING LOADED HANDLE MEANT TO PREVENT UNINTENTIONAL SLAT ACTIVATION. WE WERE OPERATING TEMPORARILY IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. RECOMMENDED SOLUTION: MODIFY THE SPRING LOADED LATCH THAT HOLDS THE SLAT HANDLE FROM INADVERTENTLY EXTENDING THE SLATS SO THAT YOU HAVE TO PHYSICALLY MOVE IT ASIDE TO EITHER EXTEND OR RETRACT THE SLATS.

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.