Narrative:

On departure from sna, we were flying the channel departure. We reached the sna localizer 6 DME and 190 KTS simultaneously. I called for flaps up, climb thrust, reconfigured the bleeds. Above 10000 ft, we climbed at 280 KTS in level change. At about FL290 we were given clearance direct to rzs. I selected direct rzs on the CDU and as I reached to hit the execute button, my forearm slid over the top of the flap handle and back. I sat back in my seat and in about 2-3 seconds, the aircraft started to shudder. The autoplt kicked off, and the aircraft went into a 5-10 degree left bank. I immediately retarded the thrust levers and leveled the wings. I looked at the airspeed indicator -- 270 KTS and slowing. I then noticed that the leading edge flap transit light was illuminated and the trailing edge flap indicator was between 0 and 1 degrees. I immediately moved the flap handle to the up detent. The flaps/slats retarded to full up. I then restored climb thrust and continued the climb. On approach into sjc, the flaps/slats functioned normally. I am not sure what caused this, but I am certain that I did not touch the flap handle in such a way that would have moved it out of the up detent had it been properly seated. I summarize that the first officer may have been distraction or rushed by the additional duties required of him on this departure and did not get the flap handle fully into the up detent. I believe that the unique procedure required by the noise abatement departure from sna may have been a contributing factor in this event. Supplemental information from acn 559280: during climb out from nsa while captain was programming FMC, his right arm may have bumped the flap lever, causing flaps to extend slightly. Airspeed was 280 KTS at FL295. Flaps were retracted prior to reaching 1 degree. Flap lever may not have been fully gated in the 0 degree position. Flaps retracted normally after takeoff out of sna. Flaps extended normally on approach into sjc. Maintenance was notified, as well as a chief pilot on call. When I am the PNF, I normally physically check the flap lever in the 0 degree flap up position by pushing it down as well as forward. I cannot say with absolute certainty that I pushed down on the top of the flap lever this time. Checking the flap lever fully gated might have prevented this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT INADVERTENTLY KNOCKS THE FLAP SLAT CTL OUT OF THE UP DETENT WHEN REACHING OVER THE FLAP SLAT CTL TO ACTIVATE THE FMC CLBING THROUGH FL295. THE ACFT SHUDDERED, KICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND BANKED L BEFORE THE CAPT COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED AND START RECOVERY.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM SNA, WE WERE FLYING THE CHANNEL DEP. WE REACHED THE SNA LOC 6 DME AND 190 KTS SIMULTANEOUSLY. I CALLED FOR FLAPS UP, CLB THRUST, RECONFIGURED THE BLEEDS. ABOVE 10000 FT, WE CLBED AT 280 KTS IN LEVEL CHANGE. AT ABOUT FL290 WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC DIRECT TO RZS. I SELECTED DIRECT RZS ON THE CDU AND AS I REACHED TO HIT THE EXECUTE BUTTON, MY FOREARM SLID OVER THE TOP OF THE FLAP HANDLE AND BACK. I SAT BACK IN MY SEAT AND IN ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS, THE ACFT STARTED TO SHUDDER. THE AUTOPLT KICKED OFF, AND THE ACFT WENT INTO A 5-10 DEG L BANK. I IMMEDIATELY RETARDED THE THRUST LEVERS AND LEVELED THE WINGS. I LOOKED AT THE AIRSPD INDICATOR -- 270 KTS AND SLOWING. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE LEADING EDGE FLAP TRANSIT LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP INDICATOR WAS BTWN 0 AND 1 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY MOVED THE FLAP HANDLE TO THE UP DETENT. THE FLAPS/SLATS RETARDED TO FULL UP. I THEN RESTORED CLB THRUST AND CONTINUED THE CLB. ON APCH INTO SJC, THE FLAPS/SLATS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. I AM NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THIS, BUT I AM CERTAIN THAT I DID NOT TOUCH THE FLAP HANDLE IN SUCH A WAY THAT WOULD HAVE MOVED IT OUT OF THE UP DETENT HAD IT BEEN PROPERLY SEATED. I SUMMARIZE THAT THE FO MAY HAVE BEEN DISTR OR RUSHED BY THE ADDITIONAL DUTIES REQUIRED OF HIM ON THIS DEP AND DID NOT GET THE FLAP HANDLE FULLY INTO THE UP DETENT. I BELIEVE THAT THE UNIQUE PROC REQUIRED BY THE NOISE ABATEMENT DEP FROM SNA MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS EVENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 559280: DURING CLBOUT FROM NSA WHILE CAPT WAS PROGRAMMING FMC, HIS R ARM MAY HAVE BUMPED THE FLAP LEVER, CAUSING FLAPS TO EXTEND SLIGHTLY. AIRSPD WAS 280 KTS AT FL295. FLAPS WERE RETRACTED PRIOR TO REACHING 1 DEG. FLAP LEVER MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FULLY GATED IN THE 0 DEG POS. FLAPS RETRACTED NORMALLY AFTER TKOF OUT OF SNA. FLAPS EXTENDED NORMALLY ON APCH INTO SJC. MAINT WAS NOTIFIED, AS WELL AS A CHIEF PLT ON CALL. WHEN I AM THE PNF, I NORMALLY PHYSICALLY CHK THE FLAP LEVER IN THE 0 DEG FLAP UP POS BY PUSHING IT DOWN AS WELL AS FORWARD. I CANNOT SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT I PUSHED DOWN ON THE TOP OF THE FLAP LEVER THIS TIME. CHKING THE FLAP LEVER FULLY GATED MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT.

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.