A B757-200 flight crew on climb out declared an emergency and diverted due to right wing leading edg...

Attributes
ACN	587219
Time
Date	200307
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 29000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	587219
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : person 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During climb-out, purser advised pieces on right wing were vibrating and shredding off. I directed the first officer as the PF to engage the autoplt and go back to the cabin to personally observe the reported damage. He observed damage to the leading edge slat on the right wing, inboard of the engine. The aft portion was vibrating strongly. Declared emergency, returned to ZZZ, and conferred with dispatch and mx, who advised a normal flap landing. Due to our overweight condition, ie, 210K pounds, we landed with flaps 25 due to gusting winds. Landing uneventful with autobrakes 2. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the #6 slat is located on the right wing inboard of the engine and the leading edge and upper surface is constructed of kevlar or carbon fiber composites. The reporter said the leading edge must have developed a crack and started to delaminate and tear off the upper surface of the leading G edge. The reporter stated on the ground a piece of composite four ft long running along the upper leading edge of the slat and from three inches aft of the leading edge was found missing. The reporter said while the composite was observed vibrating strongly no vibrations were felt in the cockpit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLT CREW ON CLB OUT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO R WING LEADING EDGE INBOARD SLAT #6 VIBRATING AND SHEDDING FRAGMENTS.

Narrative: DURING CLB-OUT, PURSER ADVISED PIECES ON R WING WERE VIBRATING AND SHREDDING OFF. I DIRECTED THE FO AS THE PF TO ENGAGE THE AUTOPLT AND GO BACK TO THE CABIN TO PERSONALLY OBSERVE THE RPTED DAMAGE. HE OBSERVED DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE SLAT ON THE R WING, INBOARD OF THE ENG. THE AFT PORTION WAS VIBRATING STRONGLY. DECLARED EMER, RETURNED TO ZZZ, AND CONFERRED WITH DISPATCH AND MX, WHO ADVISED A NORMAL FLAP LNDG. DUE TO OUR OVERWT CONDITION, IE, 210K LBS, WE LANDED WITH FLAPS 25 DUE TO GUSTING WINDS. LNDG UNEVENTFUL WITH AUTOBRAKES 2. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE #6 SLAT IS LOCATED ON THE R WING INBOARD OF THE ENG AND THE LEADING EDGE AND UPPER SURFACE IS CONSTRUCTED OF KEVLAR OR CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES. THE RPTR SAID THE LEADING EDGE MUST HAVE DEVELOPED A CRACK AND STARTED TO DELAMINATE AND TEAR OFF THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE LEADING G EDGE. THE RPTR STATED ON THE GND A PIECE OF COMPOSITE FOUR FT LONG RUNNING ALONG THE UPPER LEADING EDGE OF THE SLAT AND FROM THREE INCHES AFT OF THE LEADING EDGE WAS FOUND MISSING. THE RPTR SAID WHILE THE COMPOSITE WAS OBSERVED VIBRATING STRONGLY NO VIBRATIONS WERE FELT IN THE COCKPIT.

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.

A B757-200 flight crew on climb out declared an emergency and diverted due to right wing leading edge inboard slat #6 vibrating and shedding fragments.