Large transport wing flap control handle safety gate design.

Attributes
ACN	114205
Time
Date	198906
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around landing : missed approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 20000
ASRS Report	114205
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The large transport flap handle has 2 safety gates. 1 at 2 degree, the second at 25 degree. On the old short large transport's and the stretch large transport the 25 degree gate prevents the flaps from coming straight thru. On the advanced large transport the gate is cut and it is possible to bring the flaps up without touching the gate, thus ending up with far less flaps than needed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said that the gate on the advanced large transport is a redesign of the old gate on earlier large transport's. The new gate is cut in such a manner that permits raising or lowering the flap control handle straight through the gate. His carrier is very aware of the problem and the line maintenance department at his domicile has a 'ream' of paper on the matter but nothing has been done to change the ineffective gates.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT WING FLAP CONTROL HANDLE SAFETY GATE DESIGN.

Narrative: THE LGT FLAP HANDLE HAS 2 SAFETY GATES. 1 AT 2 DEG, THE SECOND AT 25 DEG. ON THE OLD SHORT LGT'S AND THE STRETCH LGT THE 25 DEG GATE PREVENTS THE FLAPS FROM COMING STRAIGHT THRU. ON THE ADVANCED LGT THE GATE IS CUT AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO BRING THE FLAPS UP WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GATE, THUS ENDING UP WITH FAR LESS FLAPS THAN NEEDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER SAID THAT THE GATE ON THE ADVANCED LGT IS A REDESIGN OF THE OLD GATE ON EARLIER LGT'S. THE NEW GATE IS CUT IN SUCH A MANNER THAT PERMITS RAISING OR LOWERING THE FLAP CONTROL HANDLE STRAIGHT THROUGH THE GATE. HIS CARRIER IS VERY AWARE OF THE PROB AND THE LINE MAINT DEPT AT HIS DOMICILE HAS A 'REAM' OF PAPER ON THE MATTER BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CHANGE THE INEFFECTIVE GATES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.