Narrative:

While 10 mi out configuring for the approach to ZZZ; the trailing edge flap position indicator remained at 0 degrees after the flap lever was positioned to flaps 1 degree. (Leading edge devices extended normal.) the first officer leveled off at 2000 ft MSL and executed a go around out to the missed approach holding fix. I gave ZZZ operations a call to establish a link to maintenance control. While the first officer was flying; I got out the checklist for 'symmetrical trailing edge flap failure/alternate flaps operation.' as I scanned the checklist; I noticed that there is a warning about once extending with alternate flap operations; you might not have the gas to go to an alternate. Once I got maintenance on the line; I asked them if they wanted us to bring the flaps 'up.' they did. When the flap lever was raised to 0 degrees; the leading edge retracted normal. I asked maintenance and dispatch if they wanted us to continue with the checklist or divert to ZZZ1 (longer runway; maintenance facilities; better WX). Dispatch and maintenance control agreed with our plan to divert to ZZZ1. While I was doing this; the first officer got a clearance to climb to 10000 ft MSL just in case we were going to divert -- also to save gas. Once it was decided that a divert was the plan; the first officer got us clearance to ZZZ1 while I did the final coordination with ZZZ2 dispatch. En route; we discussed the symmetrical trailing edge failure checklist as well as flap trailing edge up landing checklist. We referenced to the fom about what it said for flaps up lndgs. We also referenced to the performance handbook to get an idea on what kind of landing distance we would have if the flaps didn't come down. We did a 250 descent into ZZZ1 to conserve as much gas as possible. They changed arrs so we decided to tell approach that we wanted to go all the way out to X location to do our confign. When we started to configure; the trailing edge flaps still failed to move. We declared an emergency and then ran the trailing edge up QRH checklist. The first officer was flying the aircraft up to this point. At this point; I elected to take over control of the aircraft. I did an uneventful straight-in and landed on runway xx at ZZZ2. While we were taxiing in; we asked maintenance if they wanted us to move the flap handle from its current position and they said no. We also had the fire crews follow us to the gate because we were worried about possible hot brakes. Passenger unloaded uneventful. When maintenance came on; they discovered that the flap position indicator circuit breaker was popped. I don't remember seeing it out; I did do a cursory check but I must have missed it since it was right behind the first officer's head. I know that the checklist stated that I can use my emergency authority/authorized to reset that circuit breaker for safety of flight. Would I have done it at ZZZ? Probably not. Would I have done it at ZZZ1 had I known? Probably. In the future; I will be more diligent in my circuit breaker check if there is something nonstandard happening.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED A TRAILING EDGE FLAP PROB AND AFTER CONSULTING WITH MAINT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE 10 MI OUT CONFIGURING FOR THE APCH TO ZZZ; THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP POS INDICATOR REMAINED AT 0 DEGS AFTER THE FLAP LEVER WAS POSITIONED TO FLAPS 1 DEG. (LEADING EDGE DEVICES EXTENDED NORMAL.) THE FO LEVELED OFF AT 2000 FT MSL AND EXECUTED A GAR OUT TO THE MISSED APCH HOLDING FIX. I GAVE ZZZ OPS A CALL TO ESTABLISH A LINK TO MAINT CTL. WHILE THE FO WAS FLYING; I GOT OUT THE CHKLIST FOR 'SYMMETRICAL TRAILING EDGE FLAP FAILURE/ALTERNATE FLAPS OP.' AS I SCANNED THE CHKLIST; I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A WARNING ABOUT ONCE EXTENDING WITH ALTERNATE FLAP OPS; YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE THE GAS TO GO TO AN ALTERNATE. ONCE I GOT MAINT ON THE LINE; I ASKED THEM IF THEY WANTED US TO BRING THE FLAPS 'UP.' THEY DID. WHEN THE FLAP LEVER WAS RAISED TO 0 DEGS; THE LEADING EDGE RETRACTED NORMAL. I ASKED MAINT AND DISPATCH IF THEY WANTED US TO CONTINUE WITH THE CHKLIST OR DIVERT TO ZZZ1 (LONGER RWY; MAINT FACILITIES; BETTER WX). DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL AGREED WITH OUR PLAN TO DIVERT TO ZZZ1. WHILE I WAS DOING THIS; THE FO GOT A CLRNC TO CLB TO 10000 FT MSL JUST IN CASE WE WERE GOING TO DIVERT -- ALSO TO SAVE GAS. ONCE IT WAS DECIDED THAT A DIVERT WAS THE PLAN; THE FO GOT US CLRNC TO ZZZ1 WHILE I DID THE FINAL COORD WITH ZZZ2 DISPATCH. ENRTE; WE DISCUSSED THE SYMMETRICAL TRAILING EDGE FAILURE CHKLIST AS WELL AS FLAP TRAILING EDGE UP LNDG CHKLIST. WE REFED TO THE FOM ABOUT WHAT IT SAID FOR FLAPS UP LNDGS. WE ALSO REFED TO THE PERFORMANCE HANDBOOK TO GET AN IDEA ON WHAT KIND OF LNDG DISTANCE WE WOULD HAVE IF THE FLAPS DIDN'T COME DOWN. WE DID A 250 DSCNT INTO ZZZ1 TO CONSERVE AS MUCH GAS AS POSSIBLE. THEY CHANGED ARRS SO WE DECIDED TO TELL APCH THAT WE WANTED TO GO ALL THE WAY OUT TO X LOCATION TO DO OUR CONFIGN. WHEN WE STARTED TO CONFIGURE; THE TRAILING EDGE FLAPS STILL FAILED TO MOVE. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND THEN RAN THE TRAILING EDGE UP QRH CHKLIST. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT UP TO THIS POINT. AT THIS POINT; I ELECTED TO TAKE OVER CTL OF THE ACFT. I DID AN UNEVENTFUL STRAIGHT-IN AND LANDED ON RWY XX AT ZZZ2. WHILE WE WERE TAXIING IN; WE ASKED MAINT IF THEY WANTED US TO MOVE THE FLAP HANDLE FROM ITS CURRENT POS AND THEY SAID NO. WE ALSO HAD THE FIRE CREWS FOLLOW US TO THE GATE BECAUSE WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT POSSIBLE HOT BRAKES. PAX UNLOADED UNEVENTFUL. WHEN MAINT CAME ON; THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE FLAP POS INDICATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED. I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING IT OUT; I DID DO A CURSORY CHK BUT I MUST HAVE MISSED IT SINCE IT WAS RIGHT BEHIND THE FO'S HEAD. I KNOW THAT THE CHKLIST STATED THAT I CAN USE MY EMER AUTH TO RESET THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR SAFETY OF FLT. WOULD I HAVE DONE IT AT ZZZ? PROBABLY NOT. WOULD I HAVE DONE IT AT ZZZ1 HAD I KNOWN? PROBABLY. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE MORE DILIGENT IN MY CIRCUIT BREAKER CHK IF THERE IS SOMETHING NONSTANDARD HAPPENING.

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.