Narrative:

After takeoff we retracted the flaps as usual at 1000' AGL and had normal indications of trailing edge flap up and leading edge device lights all out. At 1400 AGL we entered the clouds and turned on our wing anti-ice shortly thereafter since light rime ice started to accumulate on our windshield wiper bolts. Approximately 5 mins later the leading edge flap amber light came on. There is no abnormal procedure (strictly speaking) for the present situation in our pilot's operating manual. This light does not usually come on unless the flaps are in transition. By the time we had slowed the aircraft to 220 KTS in preparation to extend the flaps and had communicated with ATC about the situation (which required 3 different radio frequency changes) we were leveled off at FL220 which was approximately a thousand feet above the tops of the clouds. We extended the flaps to 5 degree before the amber light was replaced by a green light. Then we added power and retracted the flaps. An amber light appeared and disappeared normally as the flaps were brought up. Two limitations were exceeded. Maximum altitude with flaps extended is 20000' MSL. In order to clean the aircraft up at FL220, maximum climb EPR was exceeded. However, our egt never exceeded 450 degree C. (550 degree C is maximum cruise egt.) after this the flight continued normally to destination. The following factors may have contributed to these excesses - fatigue: 3RD day of a 4-DAY trip. Duty period started at XA30. This incident occurred at approximately XB15. All 4 legs that day had been IMC, with heavy gusty winds at lower altitudes. On the previous leg we had experienced severe turbulence above FL230. Lastly, I felt due to the unusualness of the abnormal (having the light come on after flaps were retracted and wing heat had already been applied) that it was important to clear the icing conditions and clouds. These procedures worked even though they exceeded published limitations. If I had it to do again, I would have leveled off at a lower altitude below FL200, since the aircraft would have cleaned up better and probably recycling the flaps was all that was necessary to get the microswitch to make the proper contact on that leading edge flap light. The distraction of having to change center controllers and then return 3 different times during an abnormal situation adds extra workload that the controllers might have handled with their 'landline' instead of our microphone. If we had leveled off lower maybe the low altitude man might not have shifted us to the high altitude man (above FL230), and then made the shift back again twice more.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT LEADING EDGE FLAP AMBER LIGHT ILLUMINATES IN CLIMB AFTER FLAP RETRACTION.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF WE RETRACTED THE FLAPS AS USUAL AT 1000' AGL AND HAD NORMAL INDICATIONS OF TRAILING EDGE FLAP UP AND LEADING EDGE DEVICE LIGHTS ALL OUT. AT 1400 AGL WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS AND TURNED ON OUR WING ANTI-ICE SHORTLY THEREAFTER SINCE LIGHT RIME ICE STARTED TO ACCUMULATE ON OUR WINDSHIELD WIPER BOLTS. APPROX 5 MINS LATER THE LEADING EDGE FLAP AMBER LIGHT CAME ON. THERE IS NO ABNORMAL PROC (STRICTLY SPEAKING) FOR THE PRESENT SITUATION IN OUR PLT'S OPERATING MANUAL. THIS LIGHT DOES NOT USUALLY COME ON UNLESS THE FLAPS ARE IN TRANSITION. BY THE TIME WE HAD SLOWED THE ACFT TO 220 KTS IN PREPARATION TO EXTEND THE FLAPS AND HAD COMMUNICATED WITH ATC ABOUT THE SITUATION (WHICH REQUIRED 3 DIFFERENT RADIO FREQ CHANGES) WE WERE LEVELED OFF AT FL220 WHICH WAS APPROX A THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS. WE EXTENDED THE FLAPS TO 5 DEG BEFORE THE AMBER LIGHT WAS REPLACED BY A GREEN LIGHT. THEN WE ADDED POWER AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS. AN AMBER LIGHT APPEARED AND DISAPPEARED NORMALLY AS THE FLAPS WERE BROUGHT UP. TWO LIMITATIONS WERE EXCEEDED. MAX ALT WITH FLAPS EXTENDED IS 20000' MSL. IN ORDER TO CLEAN THE ACFT UP AT FL220, MAX CLIMB EPR WAS EXCEEDED. HOWEVER, OUR EGT NEVER EXCEEDED 450 DEG C. (550 DEG C IS MAX CRUISE EGT.) AFTER THIS THE FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY TO DEST. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THESE EXCESSES - FATIGUE: 3RD DAY OF A 4-DAY TRIP. DUTY PERIOD STARTED AT XA30. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROX XB15. ALL 4 LEGS THAT DAY HAD BEEN IMC, WITH HEAVY GUSTY WINDS AT LOWER ALTS. ON THE PREVIOUS LEG WE HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURBULENCE ABOVE FL230. LASTLY, I FELT DUE TO THE UNUSUALNESS OF THE ABNORMAL (HAVING THE LIGHT COME ON AFTER FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AND WING HEAT HAD ALREADY BEEN APPLIED) THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CLEAR THE ICING CONDITIONS AND CLOUDS. THESE PROCS WORKED EVEN THOUGH THEY EXCEEDED PUBLISHED LIMITATIONS. IF I HAD IT TO DO AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE LEVELED OFF AT A LOWER ALT BELOW FL200, SINCE THE ACFT WOULD HAVE CLEANED UP BETTER AND PROBABLY RECYCLING THE FLAPS WAS ALL THAT WAS NECESSARY TO GET THE MICROSWITCH TO MAKE THE PROPER CONTACT ON THAT LEADING EDGE FLAP LIGHT. THE DISTR OF HAVING TO CHANGE CENTER CTLRS AND THEN RETURN 3 DIFFERENT TIMES DURING AN ABNORMAL SITUATION ADDS EXTRA WORKLOAD THAT THE CTLRS MIGHT HAVE HANDLED WITH THEIR 'LANDLINE' INSTEAD OF OUR MICROPHONE. IF WE HAD LEVELED OFF LOWER MAYBE THE LOW ALT MAN MIGHT NOT HAVE SHIFTED US TO THE HIGH ALT MAN (ABOVE FL230), AND THEN MADE THE SHIFT BACK AGAIN TWICE MORE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.