Narrative:

On left downwind to runway xxr we were abeam the field at 10000 ft MSL. We had the field in sight; were at 210 KTS as assigned; and were told to expect runway xxr. ATC was clearing airspace for an emergency arrival. They cleared us to descend to 5000 ft and then 3000 ft MSL. The first officer was flying and deployed speedbrake while beginning the descent. Approach pointed out company on final to xxr and we advised that we had a visual on them. At that point we were cleared visual approach to xxl; passing behind company. The first officer called for landing gear and began left base behind company. I put the new ILS frequency in both sides; maintained visual with company; and switched to tower when instructed. We were descending to profile during this and the first officer reached over and moved the speedbrake up. He then called for flaps 5; 15 and while moving flaps to 15 degrees noticed the speedbrake lever was not fully retracted. We retracted the speedbrake to armed position; finished confign; checklists and landed uneventfully. On ground in ZZZ maintenance meet the flight; briefed them; and they performed a visual inspection of the aircraft flaps; etc. Contributing factors were the first officer was pretty new; it was our first leg flying together; I was distraction during confign by the runway change; and I was fooled when he retracted the speedbrake at the time I would have expected; but I didn't catch that he had not fully retracted it to the armed position. Closer monitoring. Don't assume what you expect to be done is being done correctly. Xchk the action provides the correct result. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the flight crew acquired the emergency aircraft visually on a straight-in approach to runway xxr. They then turned base to runway xxl behind this aircraft. The first officer was the PF and after retracting speedbrakes; asked for flap extension. The reporter had been changing ILS frequencys; and then initiated flap extension without first verifying that the speedbrakes were not aft of the armed position. It is company procedure to not extend flaps without fully retracting the speedbrakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 WAS ASSIGNED RWY CHANGE WHILE ON DOWNWIND. ON BASE LEG; FLAPS WERE EXTENDED PRIOR TO RETRACTING SPEEDBRAKES.

Narrative: ON L DOWNWIND TO RWY XXR WE WERE ABEAM THE FIELD AT 10000 FT MSL. WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT; WERE AT 210 KTS AS ASSIGNED; AND WERE TOLD TO EXPECT RWY XXR. ATC WAS CLRING AIRSPACE FOR AN EMER ARR. THEY CLRED US TO DSND TO 5000 FT AND THEN 3000 FT MSL. THE FO WAS FLYING AND DEPLOYED SPEEDBRAKE WHILE BEGINNING THE DSCNT. APCH POINTED OUT COMPANY ON FINAL TO XXR AND WE ADVISED THAT WE HAD A VISUAL ON THEM. AT THAT POINT WE WERE CLRED VISUAL APCH TO XXL; PASSING BEHIND COMPANY. THE FO CALLED FOR LNDG GEAR AND BEGAN L BASE BEHIND COMPANY. I PUT THE NEW ILS FREQ IN BOTH SIDES; MAINTAINED VISUAL WITH COMPANY; AND SWITCHED TO TWR WHEN INSTRUCTED. WE WERE DSNDING TO PROFILE DURING THIS AND THE FO REACHED OVER AND MOVED THE SPEEDBRAKE UP. HE THEN CALLED FOR FLAPS 5; 15 AND WHILE MOVING FLAPS TO 15 DEGS NOTICED THE SPEEDBRAKE LEVER WAS NOT FULLY RETRACTED. WE RETRACTED THE SPEEDBRAKE TO ARMED POS; FINISHED CONFIGN; CHKLISTS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. ON GND IN ZZZ MAINT MEET THE FLT; BRIEFED THEM; AND THEY PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ACFT FLAPS; ETC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE FO WAS PRETTY NEW; IT WAS OUR FIRST LEG FLYING TOGETHER; I WAS DISTR DURING CONFIGN BY THE RWY CHANGE; AND I WAS FOOLED WHEN HE RETRACTED THE SPEEDBRAKE AT THE TIME I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED; BUT I DIDN'T CATCH THAT HE HAD NOT FULLY RETRACTED IT TO THE ARMED POS. CLOSER MONITORING. DON'T ASSUME WHAT YOU EXPECT TO BE DONE IS BEING DONE CORRECTLY. XCHK THE ACTION PROVIDES THE CORRECT RESULT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FLT CREW ACQUIRED THE EMER ACFT VISUALLY ON A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY XXR. THEY THEN TURNED BASE TO RWY XXL BEHIND THIS ACFT. THE FO WAS THE PF AND AFTER RETRACTING SPEEDBRAKES; ASKED FOR FLAP EXTENSION. THE REPORTER HAD BEEN CHANGING ILS FREQS; AND THEN INITIATED FLAP EXTENSION WITHOUT FIRST VERIFYING THAT THE SPEEDBRAKES WERE NOT AFT OF THE ARMED POSITION. IT IS COMPANY PROCEDURE TO NOT EXTEND FLAPS WITHOUT FULLY RETRACTING THE SPEEDBRAKES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.