Narrative:

Pre-takeoff checklist was run while taxiing from the gate to runway 26L at el paso international. As we approached #1 for takeoff, a convair 580 was cleared for takeoff. His #1 engine was smoking and I was concerned that he might have problems on takeoff. As he rolled for takeoff, we were cleared for 'position and hold.' there was an aircraft on a 5 mi final who was 'cleared to land' on our runway. As my pre-takeoff checklist was completed, I was cleared for takeoff and told to expedite. We pushed up the thrust levers and got the aural takeoff warning horn. An immediate check showed that the engine flaps were not in the proper position for takeoff. We moved the flaps to the correct flaps 5 position and as the flaps were moving from the flaps 2 to flaps 5 position, I released the brakes and told the first officer to continue the takeoff. The aural warning continued for approximately 200 ft of the takeoff roll. I made this judgement call due to the fact that another aircraft was about to land and also the taxiway to exit the runway was approximately 1500 ft from the end of the runway. The takeoff warning horn stopped as the flaps came to flaps 5 position and, since we were at approximately 60 KIAS, I continued the takeoff. The takeoff was completed without incident and an uneventful landing accomplished at our destination. For the life of me, I can't believe that we missed such an important item as wing-flaps on our pre- takeoff checklist. The only explanation that I can think of was that we noticed the windsock showing a slight tailwind for takeoff rather than the calm wind that the ATIS was calling. We re-adjusted our v-spds and changed our CDU to a dash-3 takeoff rather than a reduced thrust takeoff. This minor change as we were taxiing out interrupted our pre-takeoff checklist at the wing flaps reading and we somehow skipped over the wing flaps. We call to position our wing flaps to takeoff position as we finish our after start checklist. As we do this job thousands of times correctly and always adhere to checklists and are disciplined and true believers of standardization and proper procedures, I find myself wondering how I could have missed this important item on the checklist and further wondering how I could have initiated takeoff without every item being completed in its entirety. I should have told tower that I needed a few seconds and if this required another aircraft to go around, so be it. I need to slow down and speak up! The alternatives could be disastrous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLAPS NOT SET FOR TKOF - WARNING HORN, FLC SET FLAPS ON TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: PRE-TKOF CHKLIST WAS RUN WHILE TAXIING FROM THE GATE TO RWY 26L AT EL PASO INTL. AS WE APCHED #1 FOR TKOF, A CONVAIR 580 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. HIS #1 ENG WAS SMOKING AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT HE MIGHT HAVE PROBS ON TKOF. AS HE ROLLED FOR TKOF, WE WERE CLRED FOR 'POS AND HOLD.' THERE WAS AN ACFT ON A 5 MI FINAL WHO WAS 'CLRED TO LAND' ON OUR RWY. AS MY PRE-TKOF CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED, I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND TOLD TO EXPEDITE. WE PUSHED UP THE THRUST LEVERS AND GOT THE AURAL TKOF WARNING HORN. AN IMMEDIATE CHK SHOWED THAT THE ENG FLAPS WERE NOT IN THE PROPER POS FOR TKOF. WE MOVED THE FLAPS TO THE CORRECT FLAPS 5 POS AND AS THE FLAPS WERE MOVING FROM THE FLAPS 2 TO FLAPS 5 POS, I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND TOLD THE FO TO CONTINUE THE TKOF. THE AURAL WARNING CONTINUED FOR APPROX 200 FT OF THE TKOF ROLL. I MADE THIS JUDGEMENT CALL DUE TO THE FACT THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS ABOUT TO LAND AND ALSO THE TXWY TO EXIT THE RWY WAS APPROX 1500 FT FROM THE END OF THE RWY. THE TKOF WARNING HORN STOPPED AS THE FLAPS CAME TO FLAPS 5 POS AND, SINCE WE WERE AT APPROX 60 KIAS, I CONTINUED THE TKOF. THE TKOF WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ACCOMPLISHED AT OUR DEST. FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WE MISSED SUCH AN IMPORTANT ITEM AS WING-FLAPS ON OUR PRE- TKOF CHKLIST. THE ONLY EXPLANATION THAT I CAN THINK OF WAS THAT WE NOTICED THE WINDSOCK SHOWING A SLIGHT TAILWIND FOR TKOF RATHER THAN THE CALM WIND THAT THE ATIS WAS CALLING. WE RE-ADJUSTED OUR V-SPDS AND CHANGED OUR CDU TO A DASH-3 TKOF RATHER THAN A REDUCED THRUST TKOF. THIS MINOR CHANGE AS WE WERE TAXIING OUT INTERRUPTED OUR PRE-TKOF CHKLIST AT THE WING FLAPS READING AND WE SOMEHOW SKIPPED OVER THE WING FLAPS. WE CALL TO POS OUR WING FLAPS TO TKOF POS AS WE FINISH OUR AFTER START CHKLIST. AS WE DO THIS JOB THOUSANDS OF TIMES CORRECTLY AND ALWAYS ADHERE TO CHKLISTS AND ARE DISCIPLINED AND TRUE BELIEVERS OF STANDARDIZATION AND PROPER PROCS, I FIND MYSELF WONDERING HOW I COULD HAVE MISSED THIS IMPORTANT ITEM ON THE CHKLIST AND FURTHER WONDERING HOW I COULD HAVE INITIATED TKOF WITHOUT EVERY ITEM BEING COMPLETED IN ITS ENTIRETY. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD TWR THAT I NEEDED A FEW SECONDS AND IF THIS REQUIRED ANOTHER ACFT TO GAR, SO BE IT. I NEED TO SLOW DOWN AND SPEAK UP! THE ALTERNATIVES COULD BE DISASTROUS.

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.