Narrative:

On the river visual approach to runway 19; I was PNF; autoplt off. Gear was put down; captain selected flaps 30 degrees; when we got the flaps fail amber message. Flaps remained at 20 degrees. Altitude was about 1600 ft; so I said; 'I'm going to continue on the approach until you get missed approach instructions.' captain contacted tower; said 'regan tower; aircraft X needs to go around; we have a flaps fail message.' tower responded with a right turn to heading 180 degrees and a climb to 3000 ft. I called; 'go around; gear up;' then added power; initiated the turn; and the captain retracted the gear and turned on the autoplt; stating; 'autoplt on;' which I acknowledged. Captain queried ATC about a place to hold to run the checklist; and we were told to expect vectors; no hold available. When we leveled at 3000 ft; 200 KIAS and clear of the terminal environment I called; 'my radios; QRH; flap fail message.' captain acknowledged; and ran QRH flaps fail message. During the checklist; flaps failed to move out of the 20 degree position; so the flap selector was left in the 20 degree position. The captain then declared an emergency to ATC; souls; fuel; and to standby on the landing request. An ACARS message to dispatch went unanswered; so captain asked me about diverting to ZZZ. I concurred; he communicated this to ATC with crash truck request; and we were cleared direct to ZZZ. We discussed which pilot would land; captain asked me my opinion; and I stated that I felt capable of a safe landing considering the relatively normal approach speed (vref 137); the long runway; lack of runway slope; ILS availability; visual conditions; light winds and also stated that I didn't feel any kind of nervousness; tension; adrenalin; or discomfort. Captain got ATIS; I briefed; we readied charts; completed a preliminary landing checklist; and with some more time en route to ZZZ; the captain reviewed a flaps 20 degree approach and landing technique; reading from the QRH as well as advising from his experience. I described this back to him; as I understood it; a normal approach to landing; normal profile; smooth touchdown less than 400 FPM; rollout long; use thrust reversers first; brakes as necessary; but try not to use them. Cleared to land on a visual approach to runway we flew a normal ILS profile; intercepted the GS; and landed with a 200 FPM touchdown; nose high; about 1000 ft past the 1000 ft aiming markers. Thrust reversers only were used to slow; brakes were used less than 40 KIAS after reversers were stowed. After turning off the runway the 'operations' personnel in fire trucks asked ground to have us hold just off the runway to inspect our brakes. When they gave to go-ahead to ground; we were cleared to the gate with no further incidents. During my walkaround I spent 15 mins inspecting the wing flaps and could not find any evidence of physical damage; foreign debris or other cause of malfunction. Maintenance at ZZZ was called; and after 2 attempts to reset the circuit breakers; the flaps would still not move out of 20 degrees.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ DIVERTS TO A NEARBY ARPT WITH A LONGER RWY WHEN THEY RECEIVE A FLAPS FAIL MSG ON APCH TO ZZZ.

Narrative: ON THE RIVER VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19; I WAS PNF; AUTOPLT OFF. GEAR WAS PUT DOWN; CAPT SELECTED FLAPS 30 DEGS; WHEN WE GOT THE FLAPS FAIL AMBER MESSAGE. FLAPS REMAINED AT 20 DEGS. ALT WAS ABOUT 1600 FT; SO I SAID; 'I'M GOING TO CONTINUE ON THE APCH UNTIL YOU GET MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS.' CAPT CONTACTED TWR; SAID 'REGAN TWR; ACFT X NEEDS TO GO AROUND; WE HAVE A FLAPS FAIL MESSAGE.' TWR RESPONDED WITH A R TURN TO HDG 180 DEGS AND A CLB TO 3000 FT. I CALLED; 'GO AROUND; GEAR UP;' THEN ADDED PWR; INITIATED THE TURN; AND THE CAPT RETRACTED THE GEAR AND TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT; STATING; 'AUTOPLT ON;' WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. CAPT QUERIED ATC ABOUT A PLACE TO HOLD TO RUN THE CHKLIST; AND WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT VECTORS; NO HOLD AVAILABLE. WHEN WE LEVELED AT 3000 FT; 200 KIAS AND CLR OF THE TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT I CALLED; 'MY RADIOS; QRH; FLAP FAIL MESSAGE.' CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED; AND RAN QRH FLAPS FAIL MESSAGE. DURING THE CHKLIST; FLAPS FAILED TO MOVE OUT OF THE 20 DEG POS; SO THE FLAP SELECTOR WAS LEFT IN THE 20 DEG POS. THE CAPT THEN DECLARED AN EMER TO ATC; SOULS; FUEL; AND TO STANDBY ON THE LNDG REQUEST. AN ACARS MESSAGE TO DISPATCH WENT UNANSWERED; SO CAPT ASKED ME ABOUT DIVERTING TO ZZZ. I CONCURRED; HE COMMUNICATED THIS TO ATC WITH CRASH TRUCK REQUEST; AND WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO ZZZ. WE DISCUSSED WHICH PLT WOULD LAND; CAPT ASKED ME MY OPINION; AND I STATED THAT I FELT CAPABLE OF A SAFE LNDG CONSIDERING THE RELATIVELY NORMAL APCH SPD (VREF 137); THE LONG RWY; LACK OF RWY SLOPE; ILS AVAILABILITY; VISUAL CONDITIONS; LIGHT WINDS AND ALSO STATED THAT I DIDN'T FEEL ANY KIND OF NERVOUSNESS; TENSION; ADRENALIN; OR DISCOMFORT. CAPT GOT ATIS; I BRIEFED; WE READIED CHARTS; COMPLETED A PRELIMINARY LNDG CHKLIST; AND WITH SOME MORE TIME ENRTE TO ZZZ; THE CAPT REVIEWED A FLAPS 20 DEG APCH AND LNDG TECHNIQUE; READING FROM THE QRH AS WELL AS ADVISING FROM HIS EXPERIENCE. I DESCRIBED THIS BACK TO HIM; AS I UNDERSTOOD IT; A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG; NORMAL PROFILE; SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN LESS THAN 400 FPM; ROLLOUT LONG; USE THRUST REVERSERS FIRST; BRAKES AS NECESSARY; BUT TRY NOT TO USE THEM. CLRED TO LAND ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY WE FLEW A NORMAL ILS PROFILE; INTERCEPTED THE GS; AND LANDED WITH A 200 FPM TOUCHDOWN; NOSE HIGH; ABOUT 1000 FT PAST THE 1000 FT AIMING MARKERS. THRUST REVERSERS ONLY WERE USED TO SLOW; BRAKES WERE USED LESS THAN 40 KIAS AFTER REVERSERS WERE STOWED. AFTER TURNING OFF THE RWY THE 'OPS' PERSONNEL IN FIRE TRUCKS ASKED GND TO HAVE US HOLD JUST OFF THE RWY TO INSPECT OUR BRAKES. WHEN THEY GAVE TO GO-AHEAD TO GND; WE WERE CLRED TO THE GATE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENTS. DURING MY WALKAROUND I SPENT 15 MINS INSPECTING THE WING FLAPS AND COULD NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF PHYSICAL DAMAGE; FOREIGN DEBRIS OR OTHER CAUSE OF MALFUNCTION. MAINT AT ZZZ WAS CALLED; AND AFTER 2 ATTEMPTS TO RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS; THE FLAPS WOULD STILL NOT MOVE OUT OF 20 DEGS.

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.