Narrative:

After engine start we were running the after engine start/before taxi checklist. We discovered the flaps were not moving after placing the lever in the takeoff position. We shut down and called our dispatch and director of maintenance. I was instructed to check and see if a mechanic was available for callout. There was not one available. I was also very concerned about an elderly passenger who had a very difficult time getting on and off the aircraft. I called the maintenance manager back and explained my concerns about the passenger and no mechanic available for callout. He asked me to check the security and see if any contaminants were present on a plug in a control valve. He talked me through the procedure on the phone and I removed the plug; checked it and reattached it. I then operations checked the flaps and they functioned normally. I faxed a write-up on the maintenance log to the maintenance manager; who came into work; signed the maintenance release and faxed it back to me. I also called the director of operations at his home and discussed the situation with him and our course of action to correct the problem. I flew the aircraft the remainder of the trip and had no further problems. After rethinking the situation and later discussion with the maintenance manager and director of operations I realized that I probably should have grounded the aircraft. I feel my judgement was altered by the following factors: 1) the concern for the elderly passenger. 2) the desire to 'complete the mission.' 3) the late hour (fatigue). 4) the inability to secure maintenance on the field. If faced with a similar situation in the future I will immediately ground the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 702654: the flaps for this aircraft would stop; run and stop again for unknown reason when selecting flap position. The first time; complied with a corrective action. Cleaned cannon plug; ran flaps; operations check good. Unable to duplicate. Approximately 3 weeks later; same discrepancy. Removed and installed new flap control valve; operations check good. Approximately 1 month later; same discrepancy. This time; it happened at ZZZ. Pilot called asking for information on the flap discrepancy. I asked the pilot to inspect the cannon plug at the flap control valve. Please note: he removed the safety wire to inspect plug assembly. Pilot saw no damage to plug assembly and reinstall as tight as possible. I ask him to rechk flaps; operations check good; unable to duplicate. Pilot wrote discrepancy in maintenance log. I found no reason at the time to sign discrepancy off and release aircraft for flight. I have seen in the past that this cannon plug on other aircraft had no safety wire. After thinking about this; it may have not been the best idea for the pilot to remove and reinstall cannon plug. It may or may not be a gray area in doing so; I'm not sure. The questionable plug was removed and complied with installation of a new plug assembly the next day. To prevent any other questionable discrepancy; we agree to have an a&P inspect all discrepancy before releasing aircraft for flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAINT MGR INSTRUCTS PLT OF C560 ON FLAP MAINT PROC BY PHONE. BOTH PLT AND TECHNICIAN DECIDE THIS WAS NOT AN APPROPRIATE PROC.

Narrative: AFTER ENG START WE WERE RUNNING THE AFTER ENG START/BEFORE TAXI CHKLIST. WE DISCOVERED THE FLAPS WERE NOT MOVING AFTER PLACING THE LEVER IN THE TKOF POS. WE SHUT DOWN AND CALLED OUR DISPATCH AND DIRECTOR OF MAINT. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CHK AND SEE IF A MECH WAS AVAILABLE FOR CALLOUT. THERE WAS NOT ONE AVAILABLE. I WAS ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT AN ELDERLY PAX WHO HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME GETTING ON AND OFF THE ACFT. I CALLED THE MAINT MGR BACK AND EXPLAINED MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE PAX AND NO MECH AVAILABLE FOR CALLOUT. HE ASKED ME TO CHK THE SECURITY AND SEE IF ANY CONTAMINANTS WERE PRESENT ON A PLUG IN A CTL VALVE. HE TALKED ME THROUGH THE PROC ON THE PHONE AND I REMOVED THE PLUG; CHKED IT AND REATTACHED IT. I THEN OPS CHKED THE FLAPS AND THEY FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. I FAXED A WRITE-UP ON THE MAINT LOG TO THE MAINT MGR; WHO CAME INTO WORK; SIGNED THE MAINT RELEASE AND FAXED IT BACK TO ME. I ALSO CALLED THE DIRECTOR OF OPS AT HIS HOME AND DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH HIM AND OUR COURSE OF ACTION TO CORRECT THE PROB. I FLEW THE ACFT THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP AND HAD NO FURTHER PROBS. AFTER RETHINKING THE SITUATION AND LATER DISCUSSION WITH THE MAINT MGR AND DIRECTOR OF OPS I REALIZED THAT I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE GNDED THE ACFT. I FEEL MY JUDGEMENT WAS ALTERED BY THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: 1) THE CONCERN FOR THE ELDERLY PAX. 2) THE DESIRE TO 'COMPLETE THE MISSION.' 3) THE LATE HR (FATIGUE). 4) THE INABILITY TO SECURE MAINT ON THE FIELD. IF FACED WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION IN THE FUTURE I WILL IMMEDIATELY GND THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 702654: THE FLAPS FOR THIS ACFT WOULD STOP; RUN AND STOP AGAIN FOR UNKNOWN REASON WHEN SELECTING FLAP POS. THE FIRST TIME; COMPLIED WITH A CORRECTIVE ACTION. CLEANED CANNON PLUG; RAN FLAPS; OPS CHK GOOD. UNABLE TO DUPLICATE. APPROX 3 WKS LATER; SAME DISCREPANCY. REMOVED AND INSTALLED NEW FLAP CTL VALVE; OPS CHK GOOD. APPROX 1 MONTH LATER; SAME DISCREPANCY. THIS TIME; IT HAPPENED AT ZZZ. PLT CALLED ASKING FOR INFO ON THE FLAP DISCREPANCY. I ASKED THE PLT TO INSPECT THE CANNON PLUG AT THE FLAP CTL VALVE. PLEASE NOTE: HE REMOVED THE SAFETY WIRE TO INSPECT PLUG ASSEMBLY. PLT SAW NO DAMAGE TO PLUG ASSEMBLY AND REINSTALL AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE. I ASK HIM TO RECHK FLAPS; OPS CHK GOOD; UNABLE TO DUPLICATE. PLT WROTE DISCREPANCY IN MAINT LOG. I FOUND NO REASON AT THE TIME TO SIGN DISCREPANCY OFF AND RELEASE ACFT FOR FLT. I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST THAT THIS CANNON PLUG ON OTHER ACFT HAD NO SAFETY WIRE. AFTER THINKING ABOUT THIS; IT MAY HAVE NOT BEEN THE BEST IDEA FOR THE PLT TO REMOVE AND REINSTALL CANNON PLUG. IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE A GRAY AREA IN DOING SO; I'M NOT SURE. THE QUESTIONABLE PLUG WAS REMOVED AND COMPLIED WITH INSTALLATION OF A NEW PLUG ASSEMBLY THE NEXT DAY. TO PREVENT ANY OTHER QUESTIONABLE DISCREPANCY; WE AGREE TO HAVE AN A&P INSPECT ALL DISCREPANCY BEFORE RELEASING ACFT FOR FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.