Narrative:

On the approach at ZZZ to runway 17, selected flaps 8 degrees then 20 degrees, attained proper flap operation and continued configuring. Selected flaps 30 degrees and the flaps failed at 30 degrees. We completed all checklists and QRH procedure after going around from the approach and being vectored around. We landed after obtaining new performance numbers from our dispatch uneventfully. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the flaps failed at or about 30 degrees and stayed in this position until on the ground. The reporter said a modification and procedure change has been made to the trailing edge flap systems, a new flap drive mechanism and change to the extend speed. The reporter stated that even with the flap modification and extend speed change he has experienced three failures in one month. The reporter said the maintenance action taken on this incident is unknown. Callback conversation with reporter acn 518698: the reporter said a recent procedure change and a flap mechanism modification has been made but does not appear effective as flap failure reports still persist. Supplemental information from acn 519113: the captain and I were to pick up a plane at our hangar and ferry it to ZZZ. The reason for the ferry flight was the aircraft had a cracked engine spar and we were to fly unpressurized to ZZZ. I got to the plane first, did my walk around and noticed due to some inside switch positions that the plane probably had a flap failure. The mechanic brought the captain the maintenance logbook. The write up stated the flaps failed and that maintenance had operationally checked them on the ground by bringing them to 45 degrees and back up again and signed off. The captain reviewed the logs and queried maintenance about the flap failure. The mechanic said it was 'ok' they had replaced something. I don't recall what he said they replaced however. We took off, uneventfully, and cruised at 9000 ft. The cabin altitude was 8900 ft. We approached ZZZ, the WX was barely VMC due to intense haze. Approach control advised us that there was a problem with an aircraft and that we should slow down as much as practical. On the approach to the runway, outside the final approach fix, approach control advised us we would have to hold due to an aircraft that had a gear problem, it was getting towed off the runway. We held approximately 10 mins, our fuel allowed us to hold for another 15 mins or so or we were going to divert. After 10 mins or so, approach again cleared us for the approach. We joined the localizer, and glide slope. Outside the marker the captain called for 'gear down, flaps 30.' I put the flaps to 30. Then he called for flaps 45, before landing check.' when I put the flaps to 45 we got a 'flap fail' message. We discussed it and I advised ATC we were going around and would like a box pattern or vectoring to work on a few checklists for our problem. QRH checklist complete, landing distance was ok, we determined we could safely land in ZZZ and informed ATC we were now able to come in and land. We landed uneventfully and taxied to maintenance hangar where approximately 5 mechanics stormed our plane. Three were inside commenting on the flap position indicator and how it was fluctuating. I recall one guy saying he'd never seen that before. The captain was discussing this problem with the mechanics, I was gathering up my flight stuff. The mechanics said our other plane was ready and waiting for us. We gathered our stuff and left for the other plane. I received a call from someone in our chief pilot's office asking if we had a problem going to ZZZ. I told him about our flap failure. I was asked if the captain wrote it up. I said I assumed so but it was so confusing when we landed and the mechanics stormed the plane I couldn't confirm it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the cause of the flap control failure or the component that resulted in loss of flap control is unknown. The reporter said the flaps had been worked overnight for an inbound logbook report on the previous day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CANADAIR CL-65 ON FINAL APCH AT 3500 FT HAD 'FLAP FAIL' MSG WHEN SELECTING 45 DEGS FLAPS FROM 30 DEGS. EXECUTED GAR TO TROUBLESHOOT FLAPS.

Narrative: ON THE APCH AT ZZZ TO RWY 17, SELECTED FLAPS 8 DEGS THEN 20 DEGS, ATTAINED PROPER FLAP OP AND CONTINUED CONFIGURING. SELECTED FLAPS 30 DEGS AND THE FLAPS FAILED AT 30 DEGS. WE COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS AND QRH PROC AFTER GOING AROUND FROM THE APCH AND BEING VECTORED AROUND. WE LANDED AFTER OBTAINING NEW PERFORMANCE NUMBERS FROM OUR DISPATCH UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE FLAPS FAILED AT OR ABOUT 30 DEGS AND STAYED IN THIS POS UNTIL ON THE GND. THE RPTR SAID A MODIFICATION AND PROC CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE TO THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP SYSTEMS, A NEW FLAP DRIVE MECHANISM AND CHANGE TO THE EXTEND SPEED. THE RPTR STATED THAT EVEN WITH THE FLAP MODIFICATION AND EXTEND SPEED CHANGE HE HAS EXPERIENCED THREE FAILURES IN ONE MONTH. THE RPTR SAID THE MAINT ACTION TAKEN ON THIS INCIDENT IS UNKNOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 518698: THE RPTR SAID A RECENT PROC CHANGE AND A FLAP MECHANISM MODIFICATION HAS BEEN MADE BUT DOES NOT APPEAR EFFECTIVE AS FLAP FAILURE RPTS STILL PERSIST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 519113: THE CAPT AND I WERE TO PICK UP A PLANE AT OUR HANGAR AND FERRY IT TO ZZZ. THE REASON FOR THE FERRY FLT WAS THE ACFT HAD A CRACKED ENG SPAR AND WE WERE TO FLY UNPRESSURIZED TO ZZZ. I GOT TO THE PLANE FIRST, DID MY WALK AROUND AND NOTICED DUE TO SOME INSIDE SWITCH POSITIONS THAT THE PLANE PROBABLY HAD A FLAP FAILURE. THE MECHANIC BROUGHT THE CAPT THE MAINT LOGBOOK. THE WRITE UP STATED THE FLAPS FAILED AND THAT MAINT HAD OPERATIONALLY CHKED THEM ON THE GND BY BRINGING THEM TO 45 DEGS AND BACK UP AGAIN AND SIGNED OFF. THE CAPT REVIEWED THE LOGS AND QUERIED MAINT ABOUT THE FLAP FAILURE. THE MECH SAID IT WAS 'OK' THEY HAD REPLACED SOMETHING. I DON'T RECALL WHAT HE SAID THEY REPLACED HOWEVER. WE TOOK OFF, UNEVENTFULLY, AND CRUISED AT 9000 FT. THE CABIN ALTITUDE WAS 8900 FT. WE APCHED ZZZ, THE WX WAS BARELY VMC DUE TO INTENSE HAZE. APCH CTL ADVISED US THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH AN ACFT AND THAT WE SHOULD SLOW DOWN AS MUCH AS PRACTICAL. ON THE APCH TO THE RWY, OUTSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX, APCH CTL ADVISED US WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD DUE TO AN ACFT THAT HAD A GEAR PROB, IT WAS GETTING TOWED OFF THE RWY. WE HELD APPROX 10 MINS, OUR FUEL ALLOWED US TO HOLD FOR ANOTHER 15 MINS OR SO OR WE WERE GOING TO DIVERT. AFTER 10 MINS OR SO, APCH AGAIN CLRED US FOR THE APCH. WE JOINED THE LOCALIZER, AND GLIDE SLOPE. OUTSIDE THE MARKER THE CAPT CALLED FOR 'GEAR DOWN, FLAPS 30.' I PUT THE FLAPS TO 30. THEN HE CALLED FOR FLAPS 45, BEFORE LNDG CHK.' WHEN I PUT THE FLAPS TO 45 WE GOT A 'FLAP FAIL' MSG. WE DISCUSSED IT AND I ADVISED ATC WE WERE GOING AROUND AND WOULD LIKE A BOX PATTERN OR VECTORING TO WORK ON A FEW CHKLISTS FOR OUR PROB. QRH CHKLIST COMPLETE, LANDING DISTANCE WAS OK, WE DETERMINED WE COULD SAFELY LAND IN ZZZ AND INFORMED ATC WE WERE NOW ABLE TO COME IN AND LAND. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED TO MAINT HANGAR WHERE APPROX 5 MECHANICS STORMED OUR PLANE. THREE WERE INSIDE COMMENTING ON THE FLAP POSITION INDICATOR AND HOW IT WAS FLUCTUATING. I RECALL ONE GUY SAYING HE'D NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE. THE CAPT WAS DISCUSSING THIS PROB WITH THE MECHANICS, I WAS GATHERING UP MY FLIGHT STUFF. THE MECHANICS SAID OUR OTHER PLANE WAS READY AND WAITING FOR US. WE GATHERED OUR STUFF AND LEFT FOR THE OTHER PLANE. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM SOMEONE IN OUR CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE ASKING IF WE HAD A PROB GOING TO ZZZ. I TOLD HIM ABOUT OUR FLAP FAILURE. I WAS ASKED IF THE CAPT WROTE IT UP. I SAID I ASSUMED SO BUT IT WAS SO CONFUSING WHEN WE LANDED AND THE MECHANICS STORMED THE PLANE I COULDN'T CONFIRM IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE FLAP CTL FAILURE OR THE COMPONENT THAT RESULTED IN LOSS OF FLAP CTL IS UNKNOWN. THE RPTR SAID THE FLAPS HAD BEEN WORKED OVERNIGHT FOR AN INBOUND LOGBOOK RPT ON THE PREVIOUS DAY.

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.