B727-200 crew returned to bil because they were not able to retract the leading edge flaps fully.

Attributes
ACN	497521
Time
Date	200101
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bil.airport
State Reference	MT
Altitude	agl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : stl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
ASRS Report	497521
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

On climb out of billings, upon putting flap handle to 2 degrees, we received orange error light indicating the #5 leading edge device was not retracted. We went back to 5 degrees and got green light. We declared an emergency and requested equipment to stand by and an area to dump fuel. We proceeded with dump, but the right dump valve would not open, so it took longer to dump. We returned to approach and made a normal landing as flaps and leading edge device extended normally. The equipment followed us to the ramp. After landing, the flaps and leading edge device retracted normally. We wrote the flap leading edge problem and the dump valve problem up in the maintenance flight logbook. The problem occurred as a result of the fuel panel door coming open on takeoff and catching the #5 leading edge device on retraction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200 CREW RETURNED TO BIL BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO RETRACT THE LEADING EDGE FLAPS FULLY.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT OF BILLINGS, UPON PUTTING FLAP HANDLE TO 2 DEGS, WE RECEIVED ORANGE ERROR LIGHT INDICATING THE #5 LEADING EDGE DEVICE WAS NOT RETRACTED. WE WENT BACK TO 5 DEGS AND GOT GREEN LIGHT. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED EQUIP TO STAND BY AND AN AREA TO DUMP FUEL. WE PROCEEDED WITH DUMP, BUT THE R DUMP VALVE WOULD NOT OPEN, SO IT TOOK LONGER TO DUMP. WE RETURNED TO APCH AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG AS FLAPS AND LEADING EDGE DEVICE EXTENDED NORMALLY. THE EQUIP FOLLOWED US TO THE RAMP. AFTER LNDG, THE FLAPS AND LEADING EDGE DEVICE RETRACTED NORMALLY. WE WROTE THE FLAP LEADING EDGE PROB AND THE DUMP VALVE PROB UP IN THE MAINT FLT LOGBOOK. THE PROB OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE FUEL PANEL DOOR COMING OPEN ON TKOF AND CATCHING THE #5 LEADING EDGE DEVICE ON RETRACTION.

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.