CRJ200 crew had the trailing edge flaps fail at flaps 20 degrees.

Attributes
ACN	636682
Time
Date	200411
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 200 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 20300 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	636682
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	636681
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas flap fail message other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Several seconds after selecting flaps 20 degrees, while on visual approach, right base runway 31 at lga, the flaps failed at 20 degrees. We ran the normal and abnormal QRH procedure twice and landed. Since we had the landing distance performance, I felt it was satisfactory to continue the approach. I did not want to be circling new york without a lot of fuel nor did I want to divert to jfk where the winds and runway alignments are similar to lga's. The first officer, who was flying, twice indicated her discomfort, and that alone should have convinced me to declare a missed approach. Although jfk has similar runway alignments, the runways are much longer and would have been a better choice. Furthermore, we could have circled and discussed the techniques unique to a partial flap landing, gotten maintenance/dispatch on the radio for their input, and been in a better frame of mind to execute the approach. I think that 'get there itis' on my part caused me to lose sight of our primary goal which is to conduct operations safely.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 CREW HAD THE TRAILING EDGE FLAPS FAIL AT FLAPS 20 DEGS.

Narrative: SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER SELECTING FLAPS 20 DEGS, WHILE ON VISUAL APCH, R BASE RWY 31 AT LGA, THE FLAPS FAILED AT 20 DEGS. WE RAN THE NORMAL AND ABNORMAL QRH PROC TWICE AND LANDED. SINCE WE HAD THE LNDG DISTANCE PERFORMANCE, I FELT IT WAS SATISFACTORY TO CONTINUE THE APCH. I DID NOT WANT TO BE CIRCLING NEW YORK WITHOUT A LOT OF FUEL NOR DID I WANT TO DIVERT TO JFK WHERE THE WINDS AND RWY ALIGNMENTS ARE SIMILAR TO LGA'S. THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING, TWICE INDICATED HER DISCOMFORT, AND THAT ALONE SHOULD HAVE CONVINCED ME TO DECLARE A MISSED APCH. ALTHOUGH JFK HAS SIMILAR RWY ALIGNMENTS, THE RWYS ARE MUCH LONGER AND WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER CHOICE. FURTHERMORE, WE COULD HAVE CIRCLED AND DISCUSSED THE TECHNIQUES UNIQUE TO A PARTIAL FLAP LNDG, GOTTEN MAINT/DISPATCH ON THE RADIO FOR THEIR INPUT, AND BEEN IN A BETTER FRAME OF MIND TO EXECUTE THE APCH. I THINK THAT 'GET THERE ITIS' ON MY PART CAUSED ME TO LOSE SIGHT OF OUR PRIMARY GOAL WHICH IS TO CONDUCT OPS SAFELY.

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.