FLC OF AN LGT ACR ACFT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND AFTER A FLAP ASYMMETRY INDICATION DURING CLBOUT AFTER TKOF.

Date: 1993-07 · Aircraft: Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

FLC OF AN LGT ACR ACFT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND AFTER A FLAP ASYMMETRY INDICATION DURING CLBOUT AFTER TKOF.

Narrative

WHILE RAISING THE FLAPS AFTER TKOF IN OUR LGT; WE GOT A LEADING EDGE FLAP ASYMMETRY WARNING. LAX DEP CTL WAS NOTIFIED AND WE WERE GIVEN DELAYING VECTORS WHILE WE SORTED OUT THE PROB. I; THE FO; WAS TOLD BY THE CAPT TO 'FLY THE ACFT' AND HANDLE ALL ATC COMS; WHILE HE REVIEWED THE COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL. THE PROC FOR LNDG WITH A LEADING EDGE FLAP ASYMMETRY IS ONE OF THE MORE COMPLICATED PROCS. THE CAPT ALSO CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. AFTER DETERMINING WE WOULD BE RETURNING TO LAX; AN EMER WAS DECLARED; THE LEADING EDGE FLAP ASYMMETRY CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED; AND AN UNEVENTFUL PARTIAL FLAP LNDG WAS MADE AT LAX. ONE COMMENT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT DURING AN EMER; THE WORKLOAD IN A 2-MAN COCKPIT IS VERY HIGH. WHILE GOING THROUGH THE LEADING EDGE FLAP ASYMMETRY PROC; I WAS GIVEN A HOLDING CLRNC. THE CLRNC WAS MODIFIED TWICE WHILE INBOUND TO THE FIX. WE WERE WITHIN 8 MI OF THE HOLDING FIX WHICH GAVE US LITTLE TIME TO PROGRAM THE FMC. THIS JUST ADDED TO OUR WORKLOAD. LOS ANGELES IS A HIGH TFC AREA. MORE SO THAN MOST OTHER PLACES. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF ATC CLRNCS COULD BE KEPT AT A MINIMUM DURING AN EMER IN 2-MAN COCKPITS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.