Narrative:

We were taxiing out from the terminal for takeoff. The so read the taxi checklist and the line check airman (first officer) responded. 1 item is flaps. The correct response is 15 degrees/15 degrees, green light. This was responded to correctly. Prior to takeoff, the same challenge was answered by 2 crew members again. An FAA inspector on our jump seat stopped the checklist at this time and told us the light was not green, but amber. We thanked the inspector and returned to the gate. The flight was delayed 24 hours for a flap problem. All 3 crew members missed this call at least once. The green light being amber is associated with landing, not takeoff. However, this problem could have caused a very interesting takeoff. Our sincere thanks to the very observant FAA air carrier examiner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING B727. SO AND FO EXERCISING TAXI CHKLIST. FO ANSWERED DEG OF FLAP CORRECTLY AS 15 DEGS, FOR INBOARD AND OUTBOARD TRAILING EDGE FLAPS. FO ANSWERED 'GREEN LIGHT' FOR LEADING EDGE FLAPS EXCEPT THAT THE LIGHT WAS AMBER. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. OBSERVING ACI IN JUMP SEAT CORRECTED THE FLC'S PERCEPTION OF SIT AND ACFT RETURNED TO THE RAMP FOR REPAIRS.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING OUT FROM THE TERMINAL FOR TKOF. THE SO READ THE TAXI CHKLIST AND THE LINE CHK AIRMAN (FO) RESPONDED. 1 ITEM IS FLAPS. THE CORRECT RESPONSE IS 15 DEGS/15 DEGS, GREEN LIGHT. THIS WAS RESPONDED TO CORRECTLY. PRIOR TO TKOF, THE SAME CHALLENGE WAS ANSWERED BY 2 CREW MEMBERS AGAIN. AN FAA INSPECTOR ON OUR JUMP SEAT STOPPED THE CHKLIST AT THIS TIME AND TOLD US THE LIGHT WAS NOT GREEN, BUT AMBER. WE THANKED THE INSPECTOR AND RETURNED TO THE GATE. THE FLT WAS DELAYED 24 HRS FOR A FLAP PROB. ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS MISSED THIS CALL AT LEAST ONCE. THE GREEN LIGHT BEING AMBER IS ASSOCIATED WITH LNDG, NOT TKOF. HOWEVER, THIS PROB COULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY INTERESTING TKOF. OUR SINCERE THANKS TO THE VERY OBSERVANT FAA ACR EXAMINER.

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.