Narrative:

[I was] flying pilot on ferry leg to set up for owner trip next morning. Had been a good day with this being third leg of day. No previous issues during day. [It was a] beautiful night flight with great visibility; picked up the airport 15-20 out. [We] had previously briefed that we would be doing a visual to 23 backed up by ILS 23. FMS and 'green needles' were set up for ILS and the approach for 23 was on yoke. We called 'airport in sight' approximately 10 miles out and were cleared for the visual to 23. On downwind; asked for flaps 15. [I] was getting ready to ask for the gear when we got an amber cas flaps fail message and the amber reset in flap reset switch. This is not a totally unusual event in the CE680 and I've had it happen several times. It is usually caused by not getting the selector completely in the selected detent. (And of course we see this in the simulator every recurrent as it is part of what happens when they are ready for you to demonstrate a 'no flap' landing.) due to having had this happen previously and the fact we do it in the simulator in practice session and check ride; we are familiar with this checklist. I was hand flying and just extended my downwind and basically leveled off and asked for the flaps fail abnormal procedures checklist. I knew that if it cleared; this procedure would only take about 30 seconds. My partner did the flaps fail checklist--flap position indicator...check position; flap handle... Verify position. The flap indicator appeared to show solid flaps 15 and flap handle was indeed in detent. Next is flap reset button...push. He pushed and nothing cleared. I am now on base basically headed to final approach fix on ILS 23. Partner now tells ATC we need some spacing vectors for a flap issue. There is a little back and forth and then ATC says cleared to climb and maintain 3;100 (the MSA) and hold northeast as published and call approach. Again; we are pretty close to the final approach fix when we get all of that. I can see the final approach fix on the FMS map. 3;100 gets set in altitude selector and I engage the autopilot to fly and talk and 'manage'. In the process of us trying to find and put in the hold at the final approach fix ---there is no published hold at the final approach fix--I did not notice the autopilot didn't capture 3;100 ft. We were at 3;350ish when I saw it and started correcting back down and calling approach to let them know we were correcting. He then said climb and maintain 4;000 ft. While partner ran the rest of flaps fail and landing with flaps not in landing position checklist; we did a loose hold northeast of the final approach fix. (Did not ask for further guidance on the hold as it was VMC and not busy and it seemed what we both wanted [ATC and us] was us out of way; but not going anywhere. They didn't say anything regarding the hold.) we finished the checklist which included making landing distance corrections. There was 8000 ft plus available and we needed 3;500ish. Runway [was] dry and clean. Landed and taxied to FBO. Even though we did not declare an emergency-and saw no fire trucks or other rescue units as we landed-we were met by local law enforcement at FBO. The tower had initiated some level of response on their own. [We] gave them the info for their report [and] wrote up the airplane. Suggestions: the problem (the autopilot not maintaining 3;100 ft) was the result of a lot happening at the exact same time--transition from making a visual approach/landing to holding; transition from hand flying to automation; a short climb (from a 2;700 ft pattern altitude to 3;100 ft assigned); a holding clearance at a fix with no published hold; the other pilot being somewhat heads down running checklist; and the frequency change. Why exactly it didn't capture; I do not know. However; as soon as it was noted; we corrected and informed. My recollection on the hold was that the tower gave us that hold; not approach. When we got to approach; we immediately had the altitude issue and when we had climbed to 4;000 ft and were doing checklist; we did mention that there was no published hold; but he didn't ask what we were doing either. There is a published hold at a nearby airport and it has right hand turns. Technically; that hold should have been addressed. As I mentioned; we were in clear conditions and we were out of the way and staying in one relative spot. As to the flap fail; I was doing my normal VMC SOP pattern. Since over 99% of the time; the flaps either don't fail or they reset; I don't think I would change my pattern. As to declaring an emergency; in the future; if the 'problem' (obviously in this case the flaps) does not clear; I will declare one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C680's EICAS alerted FLAPS FAIL as the crew configured for landing so they entered holding to complete the checklist procedure which did not reset the flaps. The crew did not declare an emergency for the abnormal flap configuration landing.

Narrative: [I was] flying pilot on ferry leg to set up for owner trip next morning. Had been a good day with this being third leg of day. No previous issues during day. [It was a] beautiful night flight with great visibility; picked up the airport 15-20 out. [We] had previously briefed that we would be doing a visual to 23 backed up by ILS 23. FMS and 'green needles' were set up for ILS and the approach for 23 was on yoke. We called 'airport in sight' approximately 10 miles out and were cleared for the visual to 23. On downwind; asked for flaps 15. [I] was getting ready to ask for the gear when we got an AMBER CAS FLAPS FAIL message and the AMBER RESET in flap RESET switch. This is not a totally unusual event in the CE680 and I've had it happen several times. It is usually caused by not getting the selector completely in the selected detent. (And of course we see this in the simulator every recurrent as it is part of what happens when they are ready for you to demonstrate a 'no flap' landing.) Due to having had this happen previously AND the fact we do it in the simulator in practice session AND check ride; we are familiar with this checklist. I was hand flying and just extended my downwind and basically leveled off and asked for the FLAPS FAIL abnormal procedures checklist. I knew that if it cleared; this procedure would only take about 30 seconds. My partner did the FLAPS FAIL checklist--flap position indicator...check position; flap handle... verify position. The flap indicator appeared to show solid flaps 15 and flap handle was indeed in detent. Next is FLAP RESET button...push. He pushed and nothing cleared. I am now on base basically headed to final approach fix on ILS 23. Partner now tells ATC we need some spacing vectors for a flap issue. There is a little back and forth and then ATC says cleared to climb and maintain 3;100 (the MSA) and hold northeast as published and call Approach. Again; we are pretty close to the final approach fix when we get all of that. I can see the final approach fix on the FMS map. 3;100 gets set in altitude selector and I engage the autopilot to fly and talk and 'manage'. In the process of us trying to find and put in the hold at the final approach fix ---THERE IS NO PUBLISHED HOLD AT THE FINAL APPROACH FIX--I did not notice the autopilot didn't capture 3;100 FT. We were at 3;350ish when I saw it and started correcting back down and calling Approach to let them know we were correcting. He then said climb and maintain 4;000 FT. While partner ran the rest of FLAPS FAIL and LANDING with Flaps Not in Landing Position checklist; we did a loose hold northeast of the final approach fix. (Did not ask for further guidance on the hold as it was VMC and not busy and it seemed what we both wanted [ATC and us] was us out of way; but not going anywhere. They didn't say anything regarding the hold.) We finished the checklist which included making landing distance corrections. There was 8000 FT plus available and we needed 3;500ish. Runway [was] DRY and CLEAN. Landed and taxied to FBO. Even though we did not declare an emergency-and saw no fire trucks or other rescue units as we landed-we were met by local law enforcement at FBO. The Tower had initiated some level of response on their own. [We] gave them the info for their report [and] wrote up the airplane. Suggestions: The problem (the autopilot not maintaining 3;100 FT) was the result of A LOT happening at the exact same time--transition from making a visual approach/landing to holding; transition from hand flying to automation; a short climb (from a 2;700 FT pattern altitude to 3;100 FT assigned); a holding clearance at a fix with no published hold; the other pilot being somewhat heads down running checklist; and the frequency change. Why exactly it didn't capture; I do not know. However; as soon as it was noted; we corrected and informed. My recollection on the hold was that the Tower gave us that hold; not Approach. When we got to Approach; we immediately had the altitude issue and when we had climbed to 4;000 FT and were doing checklist; we did mention that there was no published hold; but he didn't ask what we were doing either. There is a published hold at a nearby airport and it has right hand turns. Technically; that hold should have been addressed. As I mentioned; we were in clear conditions and we were out of the way and staying in one relative spot. As to the flap fail; I was doing my normal VMC SOP pattern. Since over 99% of the time; the flaps either DON'T fail or they reset; I don't think I would change my pattern. As to declaring an emergency; in the future; if the 'problem' (obviously in this case the flaps) does not clear; I will declare one.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.