Narrative:

On mar/thu/97, I was captain of an air carrier flight from olrando, fl, to dallas/ft worth, tx. While descending on downwind for landing on runway 17L at dfw, a portion of the right wing trailing edge flap structure departed the aircraft. Indicated airspeed at the time was at or below 210 KIAS. Following a fly-by of the tower, I declared an emergency. A successful visual approach to runway 17R was subsequently flown. The aircraft was flown at all times pertinent to this report by the first officer. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was the captain on a B767-200 that lost a portion of the right trailing edge flap during a descent for an approach at dfw. The aircraft was controllable using a large amount of left aileron. The conditions at the time of the failure were that the aircraft was in an expedited descent out of 10000 ft at 210 KIAS with the flaps at 15 degrees and the speed brakes extended. The captain said that the controller had told them that they were #1 and that they should keep the speed and hurry down because everyone else was being sequenced off of them. He said that the aircraft was on autoplt and the 'flight level change' mode had been selected and 210 KIAS was in the speed window. At about 6000 ft the flight crew noted a 'jolt' that the captain initially thought was wake turbulence, but a call from the mid cabin cabin attendant included information that 'a part of the wing had fallen off.' by this time the first officer had disconnected the autoplt and he remarked on the amount of left aileron necessary to hold wings level. The flight crew decided to make a pass over dfw and have the tower look at the flap sections. They held 1000 ft above the field elevation for the inspection. The ATCT local controller, apparently, could not see the missing section, but he did report that some sheet metal was sticking up on the right wing. Later this was discovered to be some damaged spoiler panels and sheet metal remains of the missing flap section. The captain said that they decided to make the approach at their then present speed of 180 KIAS and leave the flaps at 15 degrees gear down and the speed brakes armed. The first officer flew to a successful landing on runway 17R. They left the flaps down and, after an inspection, taxied to their gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B 767-200 FLC HAS A SECTION OF R WING TRAILING EDGE FLAP SEPARATE FROM THE ACFT. THEY MAINTAINED THEIR CONFIGN AND, AFTER AN INSPECTION PASS, LANDED ON RWY 17R.

Narrative: ON MAR/THU/97, I WAS CAPT OF AN ACR FLT FROM OLRANDO, FL, TO DALLAS/FT WORTH, TX. WHILE DSNDING ON DOWNWIND FOR LNDG ON RWY 17L AT DFW, A PORTION OF THE R WING TRAILING EDGE FLAP STRUCTURE DEPARTED THE ACFT. INDICATED AIRSPD AT THE TIME WAS AT OR BELOW 210 KIAS. FOLLOWING A FLY-BY OF THE TWR, I DECLARED AN EMER. A SUCCESSFUL VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17R WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FLOWN. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN AT ALL TIMES PERTINENT TO THIS RPT BY THE FO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS THE CAPT ON A B767-200 THAT LOST A PORTION OF THE R TRAILING EDGE FLAP DURING A DSCNT FOR AN APCH AT DFW. THE ACFT WAS CONTROLLABLE USING A LARGE AMOUNT OF L AILERON. THE CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE WERE THAT THE ACFT WAS IN AN EXPEDITED DSCNT OUT OF 10000 FT AT 210 KIAS WITH THE FLAPS AT 15 DEGS AND THE SPD BRAKES EXTENDED. THE CAPT SAID THAT THE CTLR HAD TOLD THEM THAT THEY WERE #1 AND THAT THEY SHOULD KEEP THE SPD AND HURRY DOWN BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE WAS BEING SEQUENCED OFF OF THEM. HE SAID THAT THE ACFT WAS ON AUTOPLT AND THE 'FLT LEVEL CHANGE' MODE HAD BEEN SELECTED AND 210 KIAS WAS IN THE SPD WINDOW. AT ABOUT 6000 FT THE FLC NOTED A 'JOLT' THAT THE CAPT INITIALLY THOUGHT WAS WAKE TURB, BUT A CALL FROM THE MID CABIN CAB INCLUDED INFO THAT 'A PART OF THE WING HAD FALLEN OFF.' BY THIS TIME THE FO HAD DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND HE REMARKED ON THE AMOUNT OF L AILERON NECESSARY TO HOLD WINGS LEVEL. THE FLC DECIDED TO MAKE A PASS OVER DFW AND HAVE THE TWR LOOK AT THE FLAP SECTIONS. THEY HELD 1000 FT ABOVE THE FIELD ELEVATION FOR THE INSPECTION. THE ATCT LCL CTLR, APPARENTLY, COULD NOT SEE THE MISSING SECTION, BUT HE DID RPT THAT SOME SHEET METAL WAS STICKING UP ON THE R WING. LATER THIS WAS DISCOVERED TO BE SOME DAMAGED SPOILER PANELS AND SHEET METAL REMAINS OF THE MISSING FLAP SECTION. THE CAPT SAID THAT THEY DECIDED TO MAKE THE APCH AT THEIR THEN PRESENT SPD OF 180 KIAS AND LEAVE THE FLAPS AT 15 DEGS GEAR DOWN AND THE SPD BRAKES ARMED. THE FO FLEW TO A SUCCESSFUL LNDG ON RWY 17R. THEY LEFT THE FLAPS DOWN AND, AFTER AN INSPECTION, TAXIED TO THEIR GATE.

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.