Flight crew of B727 is requested by mechanic to extend flaps to 30 degrees. First officer queries me...

Attributes
ACN	396668
Time
Date	199803
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	396668
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	396669
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Location: dfw. Upon arriving at the aircraft, 2 maintenance personnel were in the cockpit working on a repeat write- up on the outboard flaps. After some discussion on the problem, both maintenance personnel left the cockpit. The first officer then got into his seat to start his duties. Shortly 1 maintenance personnel came back into the cockpit and asked for the flaps to be lowered to 30 degrees. The first officer responded with 'you want me to lower the flaps to 30 degrees?' maintenance acknowledged with a yes and left the cockpit. First officer then moved the flap handle to 30 degrees. After a brief time, the first officer received a visual signal to raise the flaps and he did. After another brief period of time, maintenance appeared at the cockpit door and stated that the right outboard flaps had come in contact with a fleet service tractor parked under the trailing edge of the wing. The first officer thought the area had been cleared by the other maintenance personnel. I was seated on the jump seat and heard the exchange and thought also the area had been cleared. Aircraft was taken OTS. Lesson learned: receive verbal confirmation that the area is clear before any lever or switch is moved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 IS REQUESTED BY MECH TO EXTEND FLAPS TO 30 DEGS. FO QUERIES MECH TO ASSURE HE WANTS FLAPS EXTENDED AND THEN DOES SO. HE IS LATER INFORMED THAT THE FLAPS HIT A SVC TRACTOR PARKED UNDER THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING. ACFT TAKEN OTS.

Narrative: LOCATION: DFW. UPON ARRIVING AT THE ACFT, 2 MAINT PERSONNEL WERE IN THE COCKPIT WORKING ON A REPEAT WRITE- UP ON THE OUTBOARD FLAPS. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION ON THE PROB, BOTH MAINT PERSONNEL LEFT THE COCKPIT. THE FO THEN GOT INTO HIS SEAT TO START HIS DUTIES. SHORTLY 1 MAINT PERSONNEL CAME BACK INTO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED FOR THE FLAPS TO BE LOWERED TO 30 DEGS. THE FO RESPONDED WITH 'YOU WANT ME TO LOWER THE FLAPS TO 30 DEGS?' MAINT ACKNOWLEDGED WITH A YES AND LEFT THE COCKPIT. FO THEN MOVED THE FLAP HANDLE TO 30 DEGS. AFTER A BRIEF TIME, THE FO RECEIVED A VISUAL SIGNAL TO RAISE THE FLAPS AND HE DID. AFTER ANOTHER BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME, MAINT APPEARED AT THE COCKPIT DOOR AND STATED THAT THE R OUTBOARD FLAPS HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH A FLEET SVC TRACTOR PARKED UNDER THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING. THE FO THOUGHT THE AREA HAD BEEN CLRED BY THE OTHER MAINT PERSONNEL. I WAS SEATED ON THE JUMP SEAT AND HEARD THE EXCHANGE AND THOUGHT ALSO THE AREA HAD BEEN CLRED. ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS. LESSON LEARNED: RECEIVE VERBAL CONFIRMATION THAT THE AREA IS CLR BEFORE ANY LEVER OR SWITCH IS MOVED.

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.

Flight crew of B727 is requested by mechanic to extend flaps to 30 degrees. First officer queries mechanic to assure he wants flaps extended and then does so. He is later informed that the flaps hit a service tractor parked under the trailing edge of the wing. Aircraft taken OTS.