Narrative:

During climb out from cvg, during flap retraction, the outboard right flap indicator needle stopped between 2-5 degree position, while the other 3 needles indicated 2 degrees. No roll tendency was exhibited by the aircraft. The only procedure to follow was the 'asymmetric flap abnormal procedure.' the procedure calls for the flaps to be returned to its previous position, 5 degrees. Upon doing this again, 3 needles indicated 5 degrees, but the outboard right flap needle stayed at the same position between 2-5 degrees. Again no roll tendency was exhibited by the aircraft. Radio communication was established with aircraft maintenance. After a brief discussion of our situation, maintenance concurred that we did not have an asymmetric flap problem. Instead, we had an indicator malfunction. I elected to retract the flaps and continue to our destination for landing. At destination, as a precaution, a speed card was produced for an asymmetric flap landing situation (speeds increased 15 KTS for appropriate flap position). Landing confign was established slightly early to confirm once again that no adverse rolling tendency would occur. Approach and landing occurred without incident. Maintenance personnel found the gauge indication to be at fault and the flaps were operating normally at all times. My crew and I analyzed the problem and determined beyond any doubt that the flaps were functioning normally. There is an abnormal procedure to follow for asymmetric flap problems, but there is no abnormal procedure for a flap indicator problem. Following the asymmetric flap procedure could have caused possible additional problems that did not exist. If we actually had an asymmetric flap problem, we would have followed the procedure that would have resulted in configuring, via the alternate flap system, for landing at cvg. Since this was not the case, I elected to take the aircraft to destination where maintenance did repair the problem and safety and schedule were not compromised. Supplemental information from acn 532241: upon flap retraction from flaps 5 degrees to flaps 2 degrees, I observed an asymmetric flap condition present on the outboard flaps. The left outboard needle was stuck (frozen) at 5 degrees while right outboard went to flaps 2 degrees. I told captain of situation. I asked him 'do you want me to fly and you work with so?' captain relinquished control of airplane to me and he worked with so. So did the abnormal procedure and told me when I asked her, the procedure is complete. Captain and so called maintenance control upon my request to inform them of situation and what should we do. Maintenance told us later the flap transmitter failed. A better idea would have been to return for landing instead of pressing on at mach .80.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 CREW HAD OUTBOARD ASYMMETRIC FLAP INDICATION DURING FLAP RETRACTION.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT FROM CVG, DURING FLAP RETRACTION, THE OUTBOARD R FLAP INDICATOR NEEDLE STOPPED BTWN 2-5 DEG POS, WHILE THE OTHER 3 NEEDLES INDICATED 2 DEGS. NO ROLL TENDENCY WAS EXHIBITED BY THE ACFT. THE ONLY PROC TO FOLLOW WAS THE 'ASYMMETRIC FLAP ABNORMAL PROC.' THE PROC CALLS FOR THE FLAPS TO BE RETURNED TO ITS PREVIOUS POS, 5 DEGS. UPON DOING THIS AGAIN, 3 NEEDLES INDICATED 5 DEGS, BUT THE OUTBOARD R FLAP NEEDLE STAYED AT THE SAME POS BTWN 2-5 DEGS. AGAIN NO ROLL TENDENCY WAS EXHIBITED BY THE ACFT. RADIO COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH ACFT MAINT. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF OUR SIT, MAINT CONCURRED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE AN ASYMMETRIC FLAP PROB. INSTEAD, WE HAD AN INDICATOR MALFUNCTION. I ELECTED TO RETRACT THE FLAPS AND CONTINUE TO OUR DEST FOR LNDG. AT DEST, AS A PRECAUTION, A SPD CARD WAS PRODUCED FOR AN ASYMMETRIC FLAP LNDG SIT (SPDS INCREASED 15 KTS FOR APPROPRIATE FLAP POS). LNDG CONFIGN WAS ESTABLISHED SLIGHTLY EARLY TO CONFIRM ONCE AGAIN THAT NO ADVERSE ROLLING TENDENCY WOULD OCCUR. APCH AND LNDG OCCURRED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINT PERSONNEL FOUND THE GAUGE INDICATION TO BE AT FAULT AND THE FLAPS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY AT ALL TIMES. MY CREW AND I ANALYZED THE PROB AND DETERMINED BEYOND ANY DOUBT THAT THE FLAPS WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. THERE IS AN ABNORMAL PROC TO FOLLOW FOR ASYMMETRIC FLAP PROBS, BUT THERE IS NO ABNORMAL PROC FOR A FLAP INDICATOR PROB. FOLLOWING THE ASYMMETRIC FLAP PROC COULD HAVE CAUSED POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL PROBS THAT DID NOT EXIST. IF WE ACTUALLY HAD AN ASYMMETRIC FLAP PROB, WE WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE PROC THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN CONFIGURING, VIA THE ALTERNATE FLAP SYS, FOR LNDG AT CVG. SINCE THIS WAS NOT THE CASE, I ELECTED TO TAKE THE ACFT TO DEST WHERE MAINT DID REPAIR THE PROB AND SAFETY AND SCHEDULE WERE NOT COMPROMISED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 532241: UPON FLAP RETRACTION FROM FLAPS 5 DEGS TO FLAPS 2 DEGS, I OBSERVED AN ASYMMETRIC FLAP CONDITION PRESENT ON THE OUTBOARD FLAPS. THE L OUTBOARD NEEDLE WAS STUCK (FROZEN) AT 5 DEGS WHILE R OUTBOARD WENT TO FLAPS 2 DEGS. I TOLD CAPT OF SIT. I ASKED HIM 'DO YOU WANT ME TO FLY AND YOU WORK WITH SO?' CAPT RELINQUISHED CTL OF AIRPLANE TO ME AND HE WORKED WITH SO. SO DID THE ABNORMAL PROC AND TOLD ME WHEN I ASKED HER, THE PROC IS COMPLETE. CAPT AND SO CALLED MAINT CTL UPON MY REQUEST TO INFORM THEM OF SIT AND WHAT SHOULD WE DO. MAINT TOLD US LATER THE FLAP XMITTER FAILED. A BETTER IDEA WOULD HAVE BEEN TO RETURN FOR LNDG INSTEAD OF PRESSING ON AT MACH .80.

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.