A B737-700 FLT CREW CONTINUES THEIR SHORT FLT TO DEST ARPT AFTER EXPERIENCING A LEADING EDGE FLAP FAULT AFTER TKOF FROM THEIR DEP ARPT.

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DEPARTED ENRTE TO ZZZ. ON CLB; NOTICED LEADING EDGE TRANSIT LIGHT AND VISUALLY CONFIRMED LED'S SLIGHTLY EXTENDED. DUE TO LIGHT LOAD AND RESULTING FAST CLB AND SHORT 26 MIN SCHEDULED FLT TIME; WE WERE AT FINAL CRUISE ALT. WITHIN A FEW MINS OF TIME WE NEEDED TO DSND INTO ZZZ; SO WE FINISHED TROUBLESHOOTING; CHKLIST; CONTACTING DISPATCH AND DISCUSSION WITH DISPATCH. RATHER THAN RETURN TO OUR DEPARTING CITY; DISPATCH AGREED THAT IT MADE MORE SENSE TO LAND AT ZZZ RATHER THAN TURN AROUND AND LAND. WE DID NOT CONSIDER; AT THE TIME; THAT WE WERE DEVIATING FROM COMPANY POLICY BECAUSE OF THE PARENTHETICAL NOTE IN THE QRH INDICATING THAT THE RETURN POLICY APPLIED IF THE FLAP PROB OCCURRED 'SHORTLY AFTER DEP.' IN THIS CASE; WE REASONED THAT SINCE WE WERE ALMOST HALF WAY TO ZZZ BY THE TIME WE FINISHED THE REQUIRED PROCS; WE WERE NO LONGER REQUIRED BY POLICY TO RETURN TO THE DEST AND CONTINUING MADE MORE SENSE. UPON CLOSER OBSERVATION OF THE FOM; I DISCOVERED NO SUCH DISCLAIMER (AS IS INDICATED IN THE QRH) SO I NOW CONCLUDE THAT WE DID DEVIATE FROM COMPANY POLICY. I SUGGEST THAT GUIDANCE BE PROVIDED REGARDING THE INTENT OF COMPANY POLICY REGARDING FLAP PROBS OCCURRING ON SHORT FLTS. ONCE THE SAFETY OF THE FLT IS ESTABLISHED (IN THIS CASE; THE SLATS WERE SO SLIGHTLY EXTENDED THAT THEY MIGHT BE CONSIDERED FUNCTIONALLY RETRACTED) IT IS POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE FOR A SHORT FEW MINS TO SCHEDULED DEST. IT MIGHT MAKE MORE SENSE TO CONTINUE. CONTINUING TO A VERY CLOSE DEST ALSO MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THE FOLLOW-UP CHKLIST CALLS FOR THE NON-NORMAL FLAP LNDG CHKLIST; WHICH USUALLY REQUIRES AN EXTENDED VECTOR TO FINAL BEFORE LNDG IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE NON-NORMAL FLAP LNDG CHKLIST. I CONCLUDE THAT WE MAY HAVE LANDED 10 MINS EARLIER BY RETURNING TO OUR DEPARTING CITY; BUT THAT THE RELATIVE SAFETY OF THE OP WAS ACTUALLY SAFER BY CONTINUING TO THE DEST IN THIS CASE. I THINK IT WAS SAFER BECAUSE WE HAD TIME TO CONDUCT THE CHKLISTS; WITHOUT HAVING TO RE-ENTER THE BUSY MIA APCH AIRSPACE; ASKING FOR EXTENDED VECTORS; TRYING TO WATCH OUT FOR LOW FLYING ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 593882: THE CAPT LEFT FREQ TO TALK TO DISPATCH AND BY THIS TIME WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO THE HALF WAY POINT TO ZZZ. THE CAPT CAME BACK UP AND SAID WE'RE CONTINUING TO ZZZ AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE RIGHT CHOICE AT THE TIME. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT ZZZ; WE TALKED ABOUT THE DECISION AND IN HINDSIGHT; IT APPEARS WE VIOLATED THE FOM BY NOT PROCEEDING BACK. AT THE TIME IT SEEMED TO BE THE RIGHT MOVE TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ WHERE WE HAVE MAINT BUT IN THE FUTURE I'LL PAY MORE ATTN TO THE NOTES IN THE QRH.