Narrative:

On climb out we experienced a flap indication issue. We stopped the climb and slowed the airplane to run through our procedures but to no avail. I physically went back in the cargo area and confirmed that the flaps were in fact up (as other indications led us to believe) and that the gauge was erroneous. I called on VHF our maintenance controller and relayed all the steps that we had gone through. In the meantime; the problem went away and we continued on our way. The error indication came back a while later and when we arrived at our destination; my pfe and I repeated our procedures and the error went away permanently. I felt completely sure having physically checked the airplane; that the safety of the flight was in no way compromised. Our fleet is quite old and there are many 'bugs' that disappear as soon as they arrive. Concern/solution: I did alert maintenance of the issue but I did not write up the logbook. Again; our planes are quite old and things come and go in split seconds. How to prevent a recurrence? I'm not quite sure. Clrer outlines in our books regarding how an erroneous and temporary issue should be treated. There has always been some animosity between pilots and management. At my job; I feel that there is no one I can talk to get a truthful answer. I want to be safe and legal but I don't know everything and I am left on my own for the most part. Management has 'self disclosure.' we; as pilots; are not offered the same safety umbrella and that leaves us completely vulnerable. It would be nice to have someone protect us and/or someone to talk to without compromising our license.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CAPT DID NOT WRITE UP AN INTERMITTENT FLAP INDICATION PROB ON AGING ACFT. HE COMPLETED A MAINT ALERT INSTEAD.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT WE EXPERIENCED A FLAP INDICATION ISSUE. WE STOPPED THE CLB AND SLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO RUN THROUGH OUR PROCS BUT TO NO AVAIL. I PHYSICALLY WENT BACK IN THE CARGO AREA AND CONFIRMED THAT THE FLAPS WERE IN FACT UP (AS OTHER INDICATIONS LED US TO BELIEVE) AND THAT THE GAUGE WAS ERRONEOUS. I CALLED ON VHF OUR MAINT CTLR AND RELAYED ALL THE STEPS THAT WE HAD GONE THROUGH. IN THE MEANTIME; THE PROB WENT AWAY AND WE CONTINUED ON OUR WAY. THE ERROR INDICATION CAME BACK A WHILE LATER AND WHEN WE ARRIVED AT OUR DEST; MY PFE AND I REPEATED OUR PROCS AND THE ERROR WENT AWAY PERMANENTLY. I FELT COMPLETELY SURE HAVING PHYSICALLY CHKED THE AIRPLANE; THAT THE SAFETY OF THE FLT WAS IN NO WAY COMPROMISED. OUR FLEET IS QUITE OLD AND THERE ARE MANY 'BUGS' THAT DISAPPEAR AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVE. CONCERN/SOLUTION: I DID ALERT MAINT OF THE ISSUE BUT I DID NOT WRITE UP THE LOGBOOK. AGAIN; OUR PLANES ARE QUITE OLD AND THINGS COME AND GO IN SPLIT SECONDS. HOW TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE? I'M NOT QUITE SURE. CLRER OUTLINES IN OUR BOOKS REGARDING HOW AN ERRONEOUS AND TEMPORARY ISSUE SHOULD BE TREATED. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOME ANIMOSITY BTWN PLTS AND MGMNT. AT MY JOB; I FEEL THAT THERE IS NO ONE I CAN TALK TO GET A TRUTHFUL ANSWER. I WANT TO BE SAFE AND LEGAL BUT I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING AND I AM LEFT ON MY OWN FOR THE MOST PART. MGMNT HAS 'SELF DISCLOSURE.' WE; AS PLTS; ARE NOT OFFERED THE SAME SAFETY UMBRELLA AND THAT LEAVES US COMPLETELY VULNERABLE. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE PROTECT US AND/OR SOMEONE TO TALK TO WITHOUT COMPROMISING OUR LICENSE.

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.