A B727-200 CREW HAD OUTBOARD ASYMMETRIC FLAP INDICATION DURING FLAP RETRACTION.
Synopsis
A B727-200 CREW HAD OUTBOARD ASYMMETRIC FLAP INDICATION DURING FLAP RETRACTION.
Narrative
DURING CLBOUT FROM CVG; DURING FLAP RETRACTION; THE OUTBOARD R FLAP INDICATOR NEEDLE STOPPED BTWN 2-5 DEG POS; WHILE THE OTHER 3 NEEDLES INDICATED 2 DEGS. NO ROLL TENDENCY WAS EXHIBITED BY THE ACFT. THE ONLY PROC TO FOLLOW WAS THE 'ASYMMETRIC FLAP ABNORMAL PROC.' THE PROC CALLS FOR THE FLAPS TO BE RETURNED TO ITS PREVIOUS POS; 5 DEGS. UPON DOING THIS AGAIN; 3 NEEDLES INDICATED 5 DEGS; BUT THE OUTBOARD R FLAP NEEDLE STAYED AT THE SAME POS BTWN 2-5 DEGS. AGAIN NO ROLL TENDENCY WAS EXHIBITED BY THE ACFT. RADIO COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH ACFT MAINT. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF OUR SIT; MAINT CONCURRED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE AN ASYMMETRIC FLAP PROB. INSTEAD; WE HAD AN INDICATOR MALFUNCTION. I ELECTED TO RETRACT THE FLAPS AND CONTINUE TO OUR DEST FOR LNDG. AT DEST; AS A PRECAUTION; A SPD CARD WAS PRODUCED FOR AN ASYMMETRIC FLAP LNDG SIT (SPDS INCREASED 15 KTS FOR APPROPRIATE FLAP POS). LNDG CONFIGN WAS ESTABLISHED SLIGHTLY EARLY TO CONFIRM ONCE AGAIN THAT NO ADVERSE ROLLING TENDENCY WOULD OCCUR. APCH AND LNDG OCCURRED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINT PERSONNEL FOUND THE GAUGE INDICATION TO BE AT FAULT AND THE FLAPS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY AT ALL TIMES. MY CREW AND I ANALYZED THE PROB AND DETERMINED BEYOND ANY DOUBT THAT THE FLAPS WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. THERE IS AN ABNORMAL PROC TO FOLLOW FOR ASYMMETRIC FLAP PROBS; BUT THERE IS NO ABNORMAL PROC FOR A FLAP INDICATOR PROB. FOLLOWING THE ASYMMETRIC FLAP PROC COULD HAVE CAUSED POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL PROBS THAT DID NOT EXIST. IF WE ACTUALLY HAD AN ASYMMETRIC FLAP PROB; WE WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE PROC THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN CONFIGURING; VIA THE ALTERNATE FLAP SYS; FOR LNDG AT CVG. SINCE THIS WAS NOT THE CASE; I ELECTED TO TAKE THE ACFT TO DEST WHERE MAINT DID REPAIR THE PROB AND SAFETY AND SCHEDULE WERE NOT COMPROMISED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 532241: UPON FLAP RETRACTION FROM FLAPS 5 DEGS TO FLAPS 2 DEGS; I OBSERVED AN ASYMMETRIC FLAP CONDITION PRESENT ON THE OUTBOARD FLAPS. THE L OUTBOARD NEEDLE WAS STUCK (FROZEN) AT 5 DEGS WHILE R OUTBOARD WENT TO FLAPS 2 DEGS. I TOLD CAPT OF SIT. I ASKED HIM 'DO YOU WANT ME TO FLY AND YOU WORK WITH SO?' CAPT RELINQUISHED CTL OF AIRPLANE TO ME AND HE WORKED WITH SO. SO DID THE ABNORMAL PROC AND TOLD ME WHEN I ASKED HER; THE PROC IS COMPLETE. CAPT AND SO CALLED MAINT CTL UPON MY REQUEST TO INFORM THEM OF SIT AND WHAT SHOULD WE DO. MAINT TOLD US LATER THE FLAP XMITTER FAILED. A BETTER IDEA WOULD HAVE BEEN TO RETURN FOR LNDG INSTEAD OF PRESSING ON AT MACH .80.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.