Narrative:

With all the attention on flaps lately, I thought you might be interested in this. We pushed back, normal start, disconnect, after start check, called for flaps 5 degrees and pretkof check. When we got to flaps on the checklist I looked at the flap gauge and they were at 0 degree. The flap handle was at 5 degrees. Man this never happened before! Well maybe in the simulator before. Both our heads swung around to the circuit breaker panel, but they were all in. I looked at the overhead panel, no lights. I looked out at the wing and the flaps were up. We taxied back to the gate after we did flaps up clean up. We shut down and wrote it up. Maintenance showed up, turned on B pump and extended flaps to 40 degrees, everything was normal! Maintenance inspected and signed off. Maintenance told me that there were restrictors that will shut off pressure and will reset themselves after 5 mins. Ok. I thought to myself, man I should have tested the takeoff warning horn while I had the chance and I should have left that flap handle at 5 degrees so those mechanics wouldn't think I was crazy. Well, the words flaps up, clean up just popped out and we went back to the gate. After we were parked at the gate and everything was taken care of I told the first officer it's a good thing we brought the flap handle back to zero, because they probably would have extended and hit something after the 5 min wait. We were happy with our course of action and it was just another reinforcement to follow procedure no matter how routine. Maintenance will always believe you, well maybe after a few jokes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 RETURNED TO THE GATE WITH FLAP HANDLE AT 5 UNITS AND FLAP POS INDICATION AT '0.' MAINT RECYCLED FLAPS IN ALTERNATE MODE. CHKS OK.

Narrative: WITH ALL THE ATTN ON FLAPS LATELY, I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THIS. WE PUSHED BACK, NORMAL START, DISCONNECT, AFTER START CHK, CALLED FOR FLAPS 5 DEGS AND PRETKOF CHK. WHEN WE GOT TO FLAPS ON THE CHKLIST I LOOKED AT THE FLAP GAUGE AND THEY WERE AT 0 DEG. THE FLAP HANDLE WAS AT 5 DEGS. MAN THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE! WELL MAYBE IN THE SIMULATOR BEFORE. BOTH OUR HEADS SWUNG AROUND TO THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, BUT THEY WERE ALL IN. I LOOKED AT THE OVERHEAD PANEL, NO LIGHTS. I LOOKED OUT AT THE WING AND THE FLAPS WERE UP. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AFTER WE DID FLAPS UP CLEAN UP. WE SHUT DOWN AND WROTE IT UP. MAINT SHOWED UP, TURNED ON B PUMP AND EXTENDED FLAPS TO 40 DEGS, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL! MAINT INSPECTED AND SIGNED OFF. MAINT TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE RESTRICTORS THAT WILL SHUT OFF PRESSURE AND WILL RESET THEMSELVES AFTER 5 MINS. OK. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, MAN I SHOULD HAVE TESTED THE TKOF WARNING HORN WHILE I HAD THE CHANCE AND I SHOULD HAVE LEFT THAT FLAP HANDLE AT 5 DEGS SO THOSE MECHS WOULDN'T THINK I WAS CRAZY. WELL, THE WORDS FLAPS UP, CLEAN UP JUST POPPED OUT AND WE WENT BACK TO THE GATE. AFTER WE WERE PARKED AT THE GATE AND EVERYTHING WAS TAKEN CARE OF I TOLD THE FO IT'S A GOOD THING WE BROUGHT THE FLAP HANDLE BACK TO ZERO, BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE EXTENDED AND HIT SOMETHING AFTER THE 5 MIN WAIT. WE WERE HAPPY WITH OUR COURSE OF ACTION AND IT WAS JUST ANOTHER REINFORCEMENT TO FOLLOW PROC NO MATTER HOW ROUTINE. MAINT WILL ALWAYS BELIEVE YOU, WELL MAYBE AFTER A FEW JOKES.

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.