Narrative:

After working on the aircraft through the night, maintenance personnel taxied the aircraft to the gate 10 mins prior to scheduled departure time. During a hastened cockpit preflight check, I omitted to check the position of the emergency flap/gear selector which is under an access panel on the floor between the pilots' seats. The selector handle has 3 position: normal, flaps, and gear. Unknown to me, a mechanic had left the selector in the flaps position. Our flight proceeded normally and uneventfully and we landed at alb without incident. However, during the postflt inspection I found the flaps still in the full down position. A check of the normal flap selector showed it was in the full up position. I then checked everything in the cockpit related to flaps and found the wrongly positioned emergency selector. With pressure applied, a lockout valve prevents retraction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A JETSTREAM 41 WAS DELIVERED TO THE GATE WITH THE EMER FLAP GEAR SELECTOR OUT OF NORMAL POS AND WAS MISSED ON CREW PREFLT CHK.

Narrative: AFTER WORKING ON THE ACFT THROUGH THE NIGHT, MAINT PERSONNEL TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE GATE 10 MINS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP TIME. DURING A HASTENED COCKPIT PREFLT CHK, I OMITTED TO CHK THE POS OF THE EMER FLAP/GEAR SELECTOR WHICH IS UNDER AN ACCESS PANEL ON THE FLOOR BTWN THE PLTS' SEATS. THE SELECTOR HANDLE HAS 3 POS: NORMAL, FLAPS, AND GEAR. UNKNOWN TO ME, A MECH HAD LEFT THE SELECTOR IN THE FLAPS POS. OUR FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY AND UNEVENTFULLY AND WE LANDED AT ALB WITHOUT INCIDENT. HOWEVER, DURING THE POSTFLT INSPECTION I FOUND THE FLAPS STILL IN THE FULL DOWN POS. A CHK OF THE NORMAL FLAP SELECTOR SHOWED IT WAS IN THE FULL UP POS. I THEN CHKED EVERYTHING IN THE COCKPIT RELATED TO FLAPS AND FOUND THE WRONGLY POSITIONED EMER SELECTOR. WITH PRESSURE APPLIED, A LOCKOUT VALVE PREVENTS RETRACTION.

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.