Narrative:

The following factors gave me cause for concern for the safety of a 25 degree flap landing at the willow run airport, which has 7500 ft runway (23L). It was raining and the runway was reported as wet. There was no accurate wind information available. It was 'estimated' only. There was no braking action report. In consideration of the above factors, I decided to use 50 degree flap for landing. The FAA safety inspector, who was on board at the time, agreed that it was the prudent thing to do. The reason for this report is that, although the poi for our airline has stated his approval of this procedure, the airline was under a national FAA inspection at the time and I do not wish to be in the middle of a territorial dispute between bureaucratic factions. The aircraft in question, an heavy transport freighter, is equipped with a hush kit and the stc requires the use of 25 degrees flap for normal lndgs. The use of 50 degrees flap, in the past, has been for emergency use only. My company tells me that this is now being downgraded to an abnormal procedure. Mixed signals in the area of safety is the worst of all conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC USES 50 DEGS FLAPS FOR LNDG EVEN THOUGH STC REQUIRES USE OF 25 DEGS FOR NORMAL LNDGS.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING FACTORS GAVE ME CAUSE FOR CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF A 25 DEG FLAP LNDG AT THE WILLOW RUN ARPT, WHICH HAS 7500 FT RWY (23L). IT WAS RAINING AND THE RWY WAS RPTED AS WET. THERE WAS NO ACCURATE WIND INFO AVAILABLE. IT WAS 'ESTIMATED' ONLY. THERE WAS NO BRAKING ACTION RPT. IN CONSIDERATION OF THE ABOVE FACTORS, I DECIDED TO USE 50 DEG FLAP FOR LNDG. THE FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR, WHO WAS ON BOARD AT THE TIME, AGREED THAT IT WAS THE PRUDENT THING TO DO. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS THAT, ALTHOUGH THE POI FOR OUR AIRLINE HAS STATED HIS APPROVAL OF THIS PROC, THE AIRLINE WAS UNDER A NATIONAL FAA INSPECTION AT THE TIME AND I DO NOT WISH TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TERRITORIAL DISPUTE BTWN BUREAUCRATIC FACTIONS. THE ACFT IN QUESTION, AN HVT FREIGHTER, IS EQUIPPED WITH A HUSH KIT AND THE STC REQUIRES THE USE OF 25 DEGS FLAP FOR NORMAL LNDGS. THE USE OF 50 DEGS FLAP, IN THE PAST, HAS BEEN FOR EMER USE ONLY. MY COMPANY TELLS ME THAT THIS IS NOW BEING DOWNGRADED TO AN ABNORMAL PROC. MIXED SIGNALS IN THE AREA OF SAFETY IS THE WORST OF ALL CONDITIONS.

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.