Narrative:

On departure from bdl a trailing edge flap asymmetry occurred at approximately 1 degree flaps (left, 1/2 degree, right, 1 1/2 degree) leveled at 6000 ft MSL at 220 KTS. Accomplished flap asymmetry checklist. Prepared for a trailing edge flaps up landing and declared emergency with ATC and requested jfk ILS runway 4L due situation and WX conditions in northeast at the time. Had 'a' flight attendant prepare cabin as a precaution. Approximately 15 mins after problem occurred, flap indicator returned to normal at both on 1 degree down. With dispatch and maintenance control approval, flaps were cycled up and down to 10 degrees and worked normally. Canceled emergency with ATC and the cabin and proceeded to original destination of phl and landed without incident. Maintenance replaced flap indicator as a fix. All crew members performed their jobs in a very professional manner and if I had to do it over, I would have done nothing different. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that maintenance replaced the trailing edge flap position indicator which has a sensitive internal switch that senses an asymmetry split and shuts down the normal flap operation. The reporter said flap operation was normal after the indicator replacement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 IN CLB AT 1000 FT TO 6000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND PREPARED FOR A DIVERSION DUE TO A TRAILING EDGE FLAP ASYMMETRY SHUTOFF AT 1 UNIT. TRAILING EDGE FLAPS RECYCLED AND FOUND OP OK. CANCELED EMER AND PROCEEDED TO ORIGINAL DEST.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM BDL A TRAILING EDGE FLAP ASYMMETRY OCCURRED AT APPROX 1 DEG FLAPS (L, 1/2 DEG, R, 1 1/2 DEG) LEVELED AT 6000 FT MSL AT 220 KTS. ACCOMPLISHED FLAP ASYMMETRY CHKLIST. PREPARED FOR A TRAILING EDGE FLAPS UP LNDG AND DECLARED EMER WITH ATC AND REQUESTED JFK ILS RWY 4L DUE SIT AND WX CONDITIONS IN NE AT THE TIME. HAD 'A' FLT ATTENDANT PREPARE CABIN AS A PRECAUTION. APPROX 15 MINS AFTER PROB OCCURRED, FLAP INDICATOR RETURNED TO NORMAL AT BOTH ON 1 DEG DOWN. WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL APPROVAL, FLAPS WERE CYCLED UP AND DOWN TO 10 DEGS AND WORKED NORMALLY. CANCELED EMER WITH ATC AND THE CABIN AND PROCEEDED TO ORIGINAL DEST OF PHL AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINT REPLACED FLAP INDICATOR AS A FIX. ALL CREW MEMBERS PERFORMED THEIR JOBS IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER AND IF I HAD TO DO IT OVER, I WOULD HAVE DONE NOTHING DIFFERENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT MAINT REPLACED THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP POS INDICATOR WHICH HAS A SENSITIVE INTERNAL SWITCH THAT SENSES AN ASYMMETRY SPLIT AND SHUTS DOWN THE NORMAL FLAP OP. THE RPTR SAID FLAP OP WAS NORMAL AFTER THE INDICATOR REPLACEMENT.

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.