Narrative:

Approximately 200 mi from destination; captain was using the FMS CDU (single box on a 300 aircraft) at cruise; to obtain the landing field conditions. I was the PF. The captain's hand or wrist moved against the flap lever; and bumped/moved it out of the up detent. It was out of the up position for less than 1 second. As the leading edge and trailing edge devices had hydraulic pressure applied to them; even for just a very short time; and as the speed exceeded the flaps position 1 indicated airspeed limit; the captain wrote the occurrence in the logbook. The rest of the flight was normal. Maintenance met the plane upon arrival. 1) make sure the flap handle is firmly in the 'up' detent. In this case; it may well have been; but if it was not; it would make it much easier to bump the handle out of position. 2) use great care not to rest one's hand on the flap lever when using the CDU. 3) installing another CDU on the captain's side would have eliminated the need for the captain to reach over and have his hand right next to the flap lever while working the CDU. Supplemental information from acn 716582: the -300; -500 aircraft were designed to be operated with dual CDU's in place. The location of the dual CDU's on each side of the pedestal makes the respective CDU easy and convenient to access for each pilot. The single CDU installation in our aircraft on the first officer's side allows this type of inadvertent deployment of the flaps and leading edge devices to occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT BUMPS FLAP HANDLE OUT OF THE DETENT AT FL360.

Narrative: APPROX 200 MI FROM DEST; CAPT WAS USING THE FMS CDU (SINGLE BOX ON A 300 ACFT) AT CRUISE; TO OBTAIN THE LNDG FIELD CONDITIONS. I WAS THE PF. THE CAPT'S HAND OR WRIST MOVED AGAINST THE FLAP LEVER; AND BUMPED/MOVED IT OUT OF THE UP DETENT. IT WAS OUT OF THE UP POS FOR LESS THAN 1 SECOND. AS THE LEADING EDGE AND TRAILING EDGE DEVICES HAD HYD PRESSURE APPLIED TO THEM; EVEN FOR JUST A VERY SHORT TIME; AND AS THE SPD EXCEEDED THE FLAPS POS 1 INDICATED AIRSPD LIMIT; THE CAPT WROTE THE OCCURRENCE IN THE LOGBOOK. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL. MAINT MET THE PLANE UPON ARR. 1) MAKE SURE THE FLAP HANDLE IS FIRMLY IN THE 'UP' DETENT. IN THIS CASE; IT MAY WELL HAVE BEEN; BUT IF IT WAS NOT; IT WOULD MAKE IT MUCH EASIER TO BUMP THE HANDLE OUT OF POS. 2) USE GREAT CARE NOT TO REST ONE'S HAND ON THE FLAP LEVER WHEN USING THE CDU. 3) INSTALLING ANOTHER CDU ON THE CAPT'S SIDE WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE NEED FOR THE CAPT TO REACH OVER AND HAVE HIS HAND RIGHT NEXT TO THE FLAP LEVER WHILE WORKING THE CDU. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 716582: THE -300; -500 ACFT WERE DESIGNED TO BE OPERATED WITH DUAL CDU'S IN PLACE. THE LOCATION OF THE DUAL CDU'S ON EACH SIDE OF THE PEDESTAL MAKES THE RESPECTIVE CDU EASY AND CONVENIENT TO ACCESS FOR EACH PLT. THE SINGLE CDU INSTALLATION IN OUR ACFT ON THE FO'S SIDE ALLOWS THIS TYPE OF INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE FLAPS AND LEADING EDGE DEVICES TO OCCUR.

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.