Widebody transport returns to land when speed flags appear and stick shaker activates after rotation...

Attributes
ACN	157383
Time
Date	199009
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2200 msl bound upper : 2700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	157383
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	157374
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After rotation both captain and first officer speed flags appeared and stick shaker started. Crew determined it was an erroneous stall indication. Captain declared intentions to return for landing and departure cleared us to level off at 2700' MSL and started vectoring for landing. Crew was busy determining appropriate confign and landing weights while running checklists both for landing and the mechanical problem. Captain appeared to decided it was important to remain VFR and started a slight descent to miss the base of a bldg thunderstorm. We called center to receive clearance to 2200' MSL. Center cleared us as requested and the remainder of flight was uneventful. Technically we started descent west/O a clearance, but considering the uncertainty of the aircraft speed indications, the VFR decision was more than appropriate. Sometimes you fly first and communicate later. Also departure was paying close attention to our situation since the departure was rather non standard for mia, so it appears safety was not compromised.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB RETURNS TO LAND WHEN SPEED FLAGS APPEAR AND STICK SHAKER ACTIVATES AFTER ROTATION.

Narrative: AFTER ROTATION BOTH CAPT AND F/O SPD FLAGS APPEARED AND STICK SHAKER STARTED. CREW DETERMINED IT WAS AN ERRONEOUS STALL INDICATION. CAPT DECLARED INTENTIONS TO RETURN FOR LNDG AND DEP CLRED US TO LEVEL OFF AT 2700' MSL AND STARTED VECTORING FOR LNDG. CREW WAS BUSY DETERMINING APPROPRIATE CONFIGN AND LNDG WTS WHILE RUNNING CHKLISTS BOTH FOR LNDG AND THE MECHANICAL PROB. CAPT APPEARED TO DECIDED IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REMAIN VFR AND STARTED A SLIGHT DSNT TO MISS THE BASE OF A BLDG TSTM. WE CALLED CENTER TO RECEIVE CLRNC TO 2200' MSL. CENTER CLRED US AS REQUESTED AND THE REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. TECHNICALLY WE STARTED DSNT W/O A CLRNC, BUT CONSIDERING THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE ACFT SPD INDICATIONS, THE VFR DECISION WAS MORE THAN APPROPRIATE. SOMETIMES YOU FLY FIRST AND COMMUNICATE LATER. ALSO DEP WAS PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO OUR SITUATION SINCE THE DEP WAS RATHER NON STANDARD FOR MIA, SO IT APPEARS SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED.

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.