Narrative:

As the acting first officer on air carrier flight xyz, these are the events that transpired during the intermediate to final approach phase of the flight. The captain was flying the aircraft at the time. We were also being line checked by the FAA (standard surveillance). We had just completed our approach checklist and were on a right downwind (in VMC conditions) for runway 23L. Runway 23R was closed. The captain had slowed the aircraft to 230 KTS and was continuing to slow in order to extend flaps. At about 5 mi from the approach end of the runway we were given a vector for a base leg. At this time the captain requested flaps 1 degree. The flaps extended without incident. All indications normal. Our altitude at the time was 2500 ft, and we were cleared for the approach. We were told to maintain 210 KTS till the OM if possible. I told ATC we would do our best, and were given a frequency change to ind tower. At that point a leading edge flap in transit light, located on our forward instrument panel, began to flicker. All 3 cockpit members checked the overhead annunciator to see if there was a discrepancy. The #3 slat was showing in transit. The captain then requested flaps 5 degrees. The light still remained intermittent. Our distance was now 5 mi, speed 190 KTS, slowing to fly the glide path on the ILS. The field was in sight. At that point, I asked the captain what he wanted to do. It was either continue to configure (the slats go to full extend after 5 degrees) or go around. He then called for 10 degrees, at which point we had an all green indication. We then configured for landing and landed without incident. The FAA queried us as to whether or not we had a written procedure for what had happened. The answer is yes and no. The procedure reads as follows: leading edge flaps 'in transit' light after extension. Leading edge devices position lights annunciator -- check. If one or more leading edge devices position lights not in full extend position, execute flaps 15 degree landing. GPWS -- inhibit. In order to get the full extend you need to go to 10 degrees flaps. Also the procedure does not address an intermittent indication. The aircraft had this problem written up before and, according to the logbook, the previous crew seems to have done the same thing. I just wish I had been more assertive in this situation, rather than asking what the captain wanted to do. I should have suggested, 'let's take it around and work this problem out.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 ON FINAL APCH AT 2500 FT AT FLAPS 1 DEG AND FLAPS 5 DEGS, THE #3 SLAT 'IN TRANSIT' LIGHT WAS ON INTERMITTENTLY. AT FLAPS 10 DEGS LIGHT INDICATIONS WERE OK. FAA INSPECTOR RIDING IN COCKPIT QUESTIONED IF PROCS WERE FOLLOWED PER THE MANUAL.

Narrative: AS THE ACTING FO ON ACR FLT XYZ, THESE ARE THE EVENTS THAT TRANSPIRED DURING THE INTERMEDIATE TO FINAL APCH PHASE OF THE FLT. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT AT THE TIME. WE WERE ALSO BEING LINE CHKED BY THE FAA (STANDARD SURVEILLANCE). WE HAD JUST COMPLETED OUR APCH CHKLIST AND WERE ON A R DOWNWIND (IN VMC CONDITIONS) FOR RWY 23L. RWY 23R WAS CLOSED. THE CAPT HAD SLOWED THE ACFT TO 230 KTS AND WAS CONTINUING TO SLOW IN ORDER TO EXTEND FLAPS. AT ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE APCH END OF THE RWY WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR FOR A BASE LEG. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT REQUESTED FLAPS 1 DEG. THE FLAPS EXTENDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ALL INDICATIONS NORMAL. OUR ALT AT THE TIME WAS 2500 FT, AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 210 KTS TILL THE OM IF POSSIBLE. I TOLD ATC WE WOULD DO OUR BEST, AND WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO IND TWR. AT THAT POINT A LEADING EDGE FLAP IN TRANSIT LIGHT, LOCATED ON OUR FORWARD INST PANEL, BEGAN TO FLICKER. ALL 3 COCKPIT MEMBERS CHKED THE OVERHEAD ANNUNCIATOR TO SEE IF THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY. THE #3 SLAT WAS SHOWING IN TRANSIT. THE CAPT THEN REQUESTED FLAPS 5 DEGS. THE LIGHT STILL REMAINED INTERMITTENT. OUR DISTANCE WAS NOW 5 MI, SPD 190 KTS, SLOWING TO FLY THE GLIDE PATH ON THE ILS. THE FIELD WAS IN SIGHT. AT THAT POINT, I ASKED THE CAPT WHAT HE WANTED TO DO. IT WAS EITHER CONTINUE TO CONFIGURE (THE SLATS GO TO FULL EXTEND AFTER 5 DEGS) OR GAR. HE THEN CALLED FOR 10 DEGS, AT WHICH POINT WE HAD AN ALL GREEN INDICATION. WE THEN CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FAA QUERIED US AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD A WRITTEN PROC FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE ANSWER IS YES AND NO. THE PROC READS AS FOLLOWS: LEADING EDGE FLAPS 'IN TRANSIT' LIGHT AFTER EXTENSION. LEADING EDGE DEVICES POS LIGHTS ANNUNCIATOR -- CHK. IF ONE OR MORE LEADING EDGE DEVICES POS LIGHTS NOT IN FULL EXTEND POS, EXECUTE FLAPS 15 DEG LNDG. GPWS -- INHIBIT. IN ORDER TO GET THE FULL EXTEND YOU NEED TO GO TO 10 DEGS FLAPS. ALSO THE PROC DOES NOT ADDRESS AN INTERMITTENT INDICATION. THE ACFT HAD THIS PROB WRITTEN UP BEFORE AND, ACCORDING TO THE LOGBOOK, THE PREVIOUS CREW SEEMS TO HAVE DONE THE SAME THING. I JUST WISH I HAD BEEN MORE ASSERTIVE IN THIS SIT, RATHER THAN ASKING WHAT THE CAPT WANTED TO DO. I SHOULD HAVE SUGGESTED, 'LET'S TAKE IT AROUND AND WORK THIS PROB OUT.'

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.