ACFT EQUIP PROB -- FLAPS.

Narrative

ON THE ANC-FAI LEG AFTER THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED; IT WAS NECESSARY TO USE AILERON TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. FAIRBANKS MAINT CHKED THE FLAPS AND RECLUTCHED THE R INBOARD FLAP. THE FAI-SCC LEG STILL REQUIRED THE USE OF AILERON TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED. THE FLAPS WERE RECLUTCHED IN SCC. THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY ON THE RETURN TO FAI. FAIRBANKS MAINT CHKED IT OVER AND SAID THEY THOUGHT THE CLUTCH MECHANISM WAS PROBABLY WORN. I TOLD THEM THAT WHILE IT WAS FLYING NORMALLY NOW; I WAS GOING TO WRITE IT UP IN ANCHORAGE AND FOR THEM TO CALL ANCHORAGE AND ADVISE THEM. THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY TO ANCHORAGE; BUT WAS WRITTEN UP DUE TO THE EARLIER PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A B737-200 ON NUMEROUS FLTS IN AND OUT OF GRAVEL STRIPS ON THIS DAY. ON 1 OF THE FLTS; THE CREW HAD TO USE SOME AILERON TRIM TO COUNTER A ROLLING MOMENT THAT WAS PRESENT WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED. THE MAINT PERSONNEL AT THE NEXT STATION DETERMINED THAT THE FLAP SECTION HAD SLIPPED ITS CLUTCH AND WAS OUT OF SEQUENCE SO HE 'RECLUTCHED IT.' NO WRITE-UP WAS ENTERED IN THE MAINT LOG. ON THE NEXT CLBOUT; THE ROLLING MOMENT RECURRED; SO THE MAINT PERSONNEL AT THE NEXT STATION 'RECLUTCHED' A FLAP SECTION. THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY ON THE RETURN LEG AND AGAIN MAINT INSPECTED THE FLAP SYS AND REMARKED THAT THE FLAP CLUTCHES WERE PROBABLY WORN AND WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGED SOON. THE RPTR SAID THAT SINCE THE ACFT WAS PERFORMING WELL NOW; THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE TO DEST 'AS IS' AND WRITE UP THE PREVIOUS PROBS ENRTE. UPON ARR; THE MAJOR MAINT STATION PERSONNEL FOUND THAT THERE WAS A BROKEN 'FOLLOW UP' CABLE IN THE FLAP SYS. THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY TO THIS STATION SO THE CABLE MUST HAVE BROKEN DURING THE AFTER LNDG CLEANUP SINCE THE FLAPS WOULD NOT RETRACT WITH THIS CONDITION. THE RPTR SAYS THAT THE 'RECLUTCHING' SOLUTION HAS BEEN ROUTINELY APPLIED DUE TO THE ABNORMAL IMPACT OF OPERATING FROM GRAVEL STRIPS AND THE PAST PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO WRITE IT UP AT THE END OF THE DAY SO THAT MAINT CAN CHK THE SYS TOLERANCES OVERNIGHT. HE RPTS THAT THE FAA HAS SUSPENDED HIS ATP FOR 1 YR IN SPITE OF THIS PAST PRACTICE. SO THE CAPT HAS 'EARLY RETIRED.'