Narrative:

I was captain of a flight inbound from hawaii on the 'sadde 6 (lax) arrival.' the controller advised me that he had a DC9 inbound that he would 'stack' on top of me and we would proceed inbound for lax with my aircraft at 10000 ft and his at 12000 ft over malibu. Crossing santa monica VOR I was cleared down to 5000 ft, and the aircraft was directly above me with 2000 ft separation. He was cleared to descend also to an altitude slightly above mine. This was my first experience in doing this 'formation' descent and as a result I was very uncomfortable with this close proximity of another aircraft. As a result, my attention was diverted primarily outside the aircraft. My first officer called for 'slats extend' and I moved the flap slat handle to the proper position -- not noticing that the slat handle 'jammed' in the 'up' position and the handle 'split' leaving the flaps to move as selected. We proceeded on the approach and continued to lower flaps and gear and were cleared for a 'visual approach.' when turning final and speed reduced we encountered activation of the stick shaker and stall warning system. Power was applied immediately and when speed increased we saw the problem was 'no slats.' a go around was accomplished. The slat handle 'freed' and normal extension and landing was accomplished. Chain of events was dangerous. Supplemental information from acn 434832: the white transit light for slats was noted and flap handle at 10 degrees was noted. The slats did not, however, extend or indicate 'takeoff' position because the slat/flap handle had split due to slat handle jammed in the transit detent. Also, the connecting lock screw was loose. When evident the slat/flap levers had split, tower was advised and a go around was executed to sort out the problem. Please note: all 3 crew members checked slat lever actuation and found it jammed. Accelerating to 250 KTS, flaps were retracted and levers reconnected. First officer (PF) hit flap/slat levers firmly and the slat lever 'freed up.' operations check indicated normal and landing was made without the need for abnormal checklists. Upon landing, maintenance was notified by E-6 log and debriefing of all flight deck crew members.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GAR IS INITIATED BY A DC10-30 FLC WHEN THEIR STICK SHAKER IS ACTIVATED DURING A VISUAL NIGHT APCH TO LAX, CA.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF A FLT INBOUND FROM HAWAII ON THE 'SADDE 6 (LAX) ARR.' THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD A DC9 INBOUND THAT HE WOULD 'STACK' ON TOP OF ME AND WE WOULD PROCEED INBOUND FOR LAX WITH MY ACFT AT 10000 FT AND HIS AT 12000 FT OVER MALIBU. XING SANTA MONICA VOR I WAS CLRED DOWN TO 5000 FT, AND THE ACFT WAS DIRECTLY ABOVE ME WITH 2000 FT SEPARATION. HE WAS CLRED TO DSND ALSO TO AN ALT SLIGHTLY ABOVE MINE. THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN DOING THIS 'FORMATION' DSCNT AND AS A RESULT I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS CLOSE PROX OF ANOTHER ACFT. AS A RESULT, MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED PRIMARILY OUTSIDE THE ACFT. MY FO CALLED FOR 'SLATS EXTEND' AND I MOVED THE FLAP SLAT HANDLE TO THE PROPER POS -- NOT NOTICING THAT THE SLAT HANDLE 'JAMMED' IN THE 'UP' POS AND THE HANDLE 'SPLIT' LEAVING THE FLAPS TO MOVE AS SELECTED. WE PROCEEDED ON THE APCH AND CONTINUED TO LOWER FLAPS AND GEAR AND WERE CLRED FOR A 'VISUAL APCH.' WHEN TURNING FINAL AND SPD REDUCED WE ENCOUNTERED ACTIVATION OF THE STICK SHAKER AND STALL WARNING SYS. PWR WAS APPLIED IMMEDIATELY AND WHEN SPD INCREASED WE SAW THE PROB WAS 'NO SLATS.' A GAR WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE SLAT HANDLE 'FREED' AND NORMAL EXTENSION AND LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED. CHAIN OF EVENTS WAS DANGEROUS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 434832: THE WHITE TRANSIT LIGHT FOR SLATS WAS NOTED AND FLAP HANDLE AT 10 DEGS WAS NOTED. THE SLATS DID NOT, HOWEVER, EXTEND OR INDICATE 'TKOF' POS BECAUSE THE SLAT/FLAP HANDLE HAD SPLIT DUE TO SLAT HANDLE JAMMED IN THE TRANSIT DETENT. ALSO, THE CONNECTING LOCK SCREW WAS LOOSE. WHEN EVIDENT THE SLAT/FLAP LEVERS HAD SPLIT, TWR WAS ADVISED AND A GAR WAS EXECUTED TO SORT OUT THE PROB. PLEASE NOTE: ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS CHKED SLAT LEVER ACTUATION AND FOUND IT JAMMED. ACCELERATING TO 250 KTS, FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AND LEVERS RECONNECTED. FO (PF) HIT FLAP/SLAT LEVERS FIRMLY AND THE SLAT LEVER 'FREED UP.' OPS CHK INDICATED NORMAL AND LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT THE NEED FOR ABNORMAL CHKLISTS. UPON LNDG, MAINT WAS NOTIFIED BY E-6 LOG AND DEBRIEFING OF ALL FLT DECK CREW MEMBERS.

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.