MDT CREW HAD A FLAPS FAIL EICAS WARNING.

Narrative

I WAS ACTING AS CAPT/PIC AND PNF OF FLT. APCHING DULLES; WE RECEIVED A FLAPS FAIL MESSAGE ON THE EICAS. AFTER COMPLETING THE CHKLIST; WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL OF THE PROB AND ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMER WHILE CONTINUING FOR LNDG AT DULLES. WE COMPLETED THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLIST; NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT OF THE SIT; AND MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX OF THE ABNORMALITY AND THAT WE WOULD EXPERIENCE A 'NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WITH FIRE TRUCKS APCHING THE ACFT AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE LNDG.' I THEN ASSUMED THE CTLS AND WE EXECUTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L TO A NORMAL LNDG. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP CLR OF THE RWY ON TXWY K6 AND HAD THE OPS VEHICLE AND FIRE CHIEF INSPECT THE ACFT. WITH THEIR CLRNC; I TAXIED TO THE GATE AND SHUT DOWN UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT IS AN INSTRUCTOR IN THE ACR TRAINING DEPT; SO HE IS CURRENT ON ALL ACTIVITIES REGARDING THE CL65 FLAP FAILURES. HE SAID THAT THE ACR CURRENTLY HAS 13 ACFT. EACH OF THEM HAS HAD FLAP FAILURES. THIS IS IN A LITTLE OVER 6 MONTHS THAT THE ACFT HAS BEEN IN OPS. ON THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT; THE CAPT SAID THAT MAINT PULLED AND RESET THE 'PWR SENSING' CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND OPS RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE FLT MANUAL DOES NOT AUTH THIS TO BE DONE BY THE CREW INFLT. THE CAPT FURTHER STATED THAT THE ACR AND CANADAIR HAVE ISSUED VERY COMPLEX FLC PROCS TO WORK AROUND THE DESIGN DEFICIENCY IN THE ACFT. THE RPTR HOPES THAT THE ACFT WILL BE FIXED RATHER THAN HAVING TO LIVE WITH THE PROB. THE CAPT STATES THAT THE OUTBOARD FLAPS TWIST AND CAUSE AN ASYMMETRIC TRIP OFF OF THE FLAP SYS. THERE IS ALSO A PROB WITH MOISTURE ACCUMULATION WHICH FREEZES AT ALT CAUSING FLAP FAILURE. THE ACR IS EMPHASIZING 0 FLAP LNDG DURING THE TRAINING SESSIONS THE FLCS ARE GIVEN.