Narrative:

On the anc-fai leg after the flaps were retracted, it was necessary to use aileron to maintain level flight. Fairbanks maintenance checked the flaps and reclutched the right inboard flap. The fai-scc leg still required the use of aileron to maintain level flight with the flaps retracted. The flaps were reclutched in scc. The aircraft flew normally on the return to fai. Fairbanks maintenance checked it over and said they thought the clutch mechanism was probably worn. I told them that while it was flying normally now, I was going to write it up in anchorage and for them to call anchorage and advise them. The aircraft flew normally to anchorage, but was written up due to the earlier problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a B737-200 on numerous flts in and out of gravel strips on this day. On 1 of the flts, the crew had to use some aileron trim to counter a rolling moment that was present with the flaps retracted. The maintenance personnel at the next station determined that the flap section had slipped its clutch and was out of sequence so he 'reclutched it.' no write-up was entered in the maintenance log. On the next climb out, the rolling moment recurred, so the maintenance personnel at the next station 'reclutched' a flap section. The aircraft flew normally on the return leg and again maintenance inspected the flap system and remarked that the flap clutches were probably worn and would have to be changed soon. The reporter said that since the aircraft was performing well now, that he would continue to destination 'as is' and write up the previous problems en route. Upon arrival, the major maintenance station personnel found that there was a broken 'follow up' cable in the flap system. The aircraft flew normally to this station so the cable must have broken during the after landing cleanup since the flaps would not retract with this condition. The reporter says that the 'reclutching' solution has been routinely applied due to the abnormal impact of operating from gravel strips and the past practice has been to write it up at the end of the day so that maintenance can check the system tolerances overnight. He reports that the FAA has suspended his ATP for 1 yr in spite of this past practice. So the captain has 'early retired.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB -- FLAPS.

Narrative: ON THE ANC-FAI LEG AFTER THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED, IT WAS NECESSARY TO USE AILERON TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. FAIRBANKS MAINT CHKED THE FLAPS AND RECLUTCHED THE R INBOARD FLAP. THE FAI-SCC LEG STILL REQUIRED THE USE OF AILERON TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED. THE FLAPS WERE RECLUTCHED IN SCC. THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY ON THE RETURN TO FAI. FAIRBANKS MAINT CHKED IT OVER AND SAID THEY THOUGHT THE CLUTCH MECHANISM WAS PROBABLY WORN. I TOLD THEM THAT WHILE IT WAS FLYING NORMALLY NOW, I WAS GOING TO WRITE IT UP IN ANCHORAGE AND FOR THEM TO CALL ANCHORAGE AND ADVISE THEM. THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY TO ANCHORAGE, BUT WAS WRITTEN UP DUE TO THE EARLIER PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A B737-200 ON NUMEROUS FLTS IN AND OUT OF GRAVEL STRIPS ON THIS DAY. ON 1 OF THE FLTS, THE CREW HAD TO USE SOME AILERON TRIM TO COUNTER A ROLLING MOMENT THAT WAS PRESENT WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED. THE MAINT PERSONNEL AT THE NEXT STATION DETERMINED THAT THE FLAP SECTION HAD SLIPPED ITS CLUTCH AND WAS OUT OF SEQUENCE SO HE 'RECLUTCHED IT.' NO WRITE-UP WAS ENTERED IN THE MAINT LOG. ON THE NEXT CLBOUT, THE ROLLING MOMENT RECURRED, SO THE MAINT PERSONNEL AT THE NEXT STATION 'RECLUTCHED' A FLAP SECTION. THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY ON THE RETURN LEG AND AGAIN MAINT INSPECTED THE FLAP SYS AND REMARKED THAT THE FLAP CLUTCHES WERE PROBABLY WORN AND WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGED SOON. THE RPTR SAID THAT SINCE THE ACFT WAS PERFORMING WELL NOW, THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE TO DEST 'AS IS' AND WRITE UP THE PREVIOUS PROBS ENRTE. UPON ARR, THE MAJOR MAINT STATION PERSONNEL FOUND THAT THERE WAS A BROKEN 'FOLLOW UP' CABLE IN THE FLAP SYS. THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY TO THIS STATION SO THE CABLE MUST HAVE BROKEN DURING THE AFTER LNDG CLEANUP SINCE THE FLAPS WOULD NOT RETRACT WITH THIS CONDITION. THE RPTR SAYS THAT THE 'RECLUTCHING' SOLUTION HAS BEEN ROUTINELY APPLIED DUE TO THE ABNORMAL IMPACT OF OPERATING FROM GRAVEL STRIPS AND THE PAST PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO WRITE IT UP AT THE END OF THE DAY SO THAT MAINT CAN CHK THE SYS TOLERANCES OVERNIGHT. HE RPTS THAT THE FAA HAS SUSPENDED HIS ATP FOR 1 YR IN SPITE OF THIS PAST PRACTICE. SO THE CAPT HAS 'EARLY RETIRED.'

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.