Narrative:

I was working overtime for line ron. My job assignment for the night was navigation data and laptop download for aircraft on the line. Mr X and I were asked if we would help out and taxi aircraft Y over to the wash rack because of lack of run and taxi qualified personnel. I was told after that I could go to lunch; being that I would be at the hangar. Mechanic was in left seat and I was right seat. After dropping off aircraft Y; we were asked to taxi aircraft X back from the wash rack to gate. I exited and I went (walked) over to the front of aircraft where my lead was sitting on the tug. He was doing his walkaround on aircraft. After he was done with aircraft; he came over to aircraft X and proceeded to do a walkaround. I was asked to go fire up the APU and get ready to configure. I was cleared for hydraulics; eau's were reset; closed thrust reversers; overhead lights stayed on. I asked to open thrust reversers again and reset eau's. Again I asked to close thrust reversers and flaps up; came up the stand and closed the door. I was already in the left seat so he sat right seat. We got situated; pushed ground call for brakes off and started to push back. I realize 'a' system was still on; reached up to turn it off. Too late; we sheared the tow bar bolt. The crew went and got another bolt; finished pushing us out. Taxied aircraft X to gate. When we got to the gate; I dropped the flaps and that when we realized the flaps were damaged. At the gate is where I was told that they (line done) taxi with flaps; 15 degrees to and from the wash rack because spoiler locks are installed. I had no idea that's what they did and I have always been told to taxi flaps up. According to our run and taxi sheet; we are supposed to taxi flaps up. Upon our own investigation; we found that the incorrect locks were installed on the ground spoilers. They had flight spoiler locks installed on all spoilers; and no damage was done to the flight spoilers. Never would I have thought that flaps would be damaged with spoiler locks on. We raise flaps to 0 degrees every day on 'C' check with spoiler locks installed on our -300/-500 aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 ACFT SUSTAINED LH AND R-HAND LEADING EDGE FLAP DAMAGE DUE TO FLAPS RETRACTED WITH SPOILER LOCKS INSTALLED. FOUND AFTER TAXI TO GATE.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING OVERTIME FOR LINE RON. MY JOB ASSIGNMENT FOR THE NIGHT WAS NAV DATA AND LAPTOP DOWNLOAD FOR ACFT ON THE LINE. MR X AND I WERE ASKED IF WE WOULD HELP OUT AND TAXI ACFT Y OVER TO THE WASH RACK BECAUSE OF LACK OF RUN AND TAXI QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. I WAS TOLD AFTER THAT I COULD GO TO LUNCH; BEING THAT I WOULD BE AT THE HANGAR. MECH WAS IN L SEAT AND I WAS R SEAT. AFTER DROPPING OFF ACFT Y; WE WERE ASKED TO TAXI ACFT X BACK FROM THE WASH RACK TO GATE. I EXITED AND I WENT (WALKED) OVER TO THE FRONT OF ACFT WHERE MY LEAD WAS SITTING ON THE TUG. HE WAS DOING HIS WALKAROUND ON ACFT. AFTER HE WAS DONE WITH ACFT; HE CAME OVER TO ACFT X AND PROCEEDED TO DO A WALKAROUND. I WAS ASKED TO GO FIRE UP THE APU AND GET READY TO CONFIGURE. I WAS CLRED FOR HYDS; EAU'S WERE RESET; CLOSED THRUST REVERSERS; OVERHEAD LIGHTS STAYED ON. I ASKED TO OPEN THRUST REVERSERS AGAIN AND RESET EAU'S. AGAIN I ASKED TO CLOSE THRUST REVERSERS AND FLAPS UP; CAME UP THE STAND AND CLOSED THE DOOR. I WAS ALREADY IN THE L SEAT SO HE SAT R SEAT. WE GOT SITUATED; PUSHED GND CALL FOR BRAKES OFF AND STARTED TO PUSH BACK. I REALIZE 'A' SYS WAS STILL ON; REACHED UP TO TURN IT OFF. TOO LATE; WE SHEARED THE TOW BAR BOLT. THE CREW WENT AND GOT ANOTHER BOLT; FINISHED PUSHING US OUT. TAXIED ACFT X TO GATE. WHEN WE GOT TO THE GATE; I DROPPED THE FLAPS AND THAT WHEN WE REALIZED THE FLAPS WERE DAMAGED. AT THE GATE IS WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY (LINE DONE) TAXI WITH FLAPS; 15 DEGS TO AND FROM THE WASH RACK BECAUSE SPOILER LOCKS ARE INSTALLED. I HAD NO IDEA THAT'S WHAT THEY DID AND I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD TO TAXI FLAPS UP. ACCORDING TO OUR RUN AND TAXI SHEET; WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TAXI FLAPS UP. UPON OUR OWN INVESTIGATION; WE FOUND THAT THE INCORRECT LOCKS WERE INSTALLED ON THE GND SPOILERS. THEY HAD FLT SPOILER LOCKS INSTALLED ON ALL SPOILERS; AND NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE FLT SPOILERS. NEVER WOULD I HAVE THOUGHT THAT FLAPS WOULD BE DAMAGED WITH SPOILER LOCKS ON. WE RAISE FLAPS TO 0 DEGS EVERY DAY ON 'C' CHK WITH SPOILER LOCKS INSTALLED ON OUR -300/-500 ACFT.

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.