Narrative:

This is one of those sits of 'live and learn.' hopefully nothing will come of it. Flight started at ewr with an oak destination. As we taxied out of ewr, when the flaps were selected to 20 degrees, the flap handle went to the 22 degree detent (fixed stop/gate), and the flap indicator went to 21 degrees. We cycled the flaps 2 times with same results. We talked about it, the flaps appeared all normal other than the 1 degree difference in indication. We were #1 for takeoff, so we elected to take off. Uneventful flight to oak. Once parked at oakland, I made an entry into the aircraft maintenance logbook, indicating the difference (1 degree) among the dial-a-flap selector, the flap indicator and the 22 degree detent. Briefed the aircraft mechanic who met us at the plane. It was only on a subsequent flight that we decided (and remembered) that we could have referenced to the MEL. Much to our surprise, the dial-a-flap was listed as a 'flag' item, which meant we should have returned to the ewr ramp and had it repaired prior to takeoff. The MEL stated the dial-a-flap must 'operate normally.' what does 'normally' mean? Is it exact -- in other words, if we select 17.9 degree flaps and it indicates 17.8 or 18.0 (on a 20 yr old airplane), does that mean it is out of tolerance? I really believe there should be more specific evidence in the MEL (when I told the mechanic about it in oak he said, 'oh yeah, we see that a lot'). So it must be common. There were some outside factors that contributed to my decision to continue: 1) never seen this problem before, unfamiliar with it. 2) 20 yr old airplane. Possible wear on moving parts, thereby 'sloppy' movement of dial-a-flap handle. 3) talked about it with other crew members. None had a problem or thought of the MEL until next flight, or felt it unsafe in any way whatsoever. 4) we were #1 for takeoff. Did not feel it necessary to return to gate (we were wrong). 5) on board was a company check airman, administering a check ride to me. He saw what we did, never said anything like 'are you guys sure you want to do this?' afterwards during the debrief (but prior to the next flight where we as a crew realized it was a flap item) I asked the check airman for input regarding the flap handle and he said 'I saw what you did, ok with me.' 6) only after he left, and we were on a subsequent flight, we researched it and found out the requirement to return to gate at ewr. 7) I followed up with aircraft maintenance and confirmed the aircraft had been repaired before it flew again. Next time, I will check the MEL at the most minor mechanical problem on the ground. My crew and I debriefed this extensively. We know what to do better next time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10-30 CREW HAD TROUBLE SETTING A 'DIAL-A-FLAP' POS THAT WAS CLOSE TO A FIXED FLAP GATE.

Narrative: THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SITS OF 'LIVE AND LEARN.' HOPEFULLY NOTHING WILL COME OF IT. FLT STARTED AT EWR WITH AN OAK DEST. AS WE TAXIED OUT OF EWR, WHEN THE FLAPS WERE SELECTED TO 20 DEGS, THE FLAP HANDLE WENT TO THE 22 DEG DETENT (FIXED STOP/GATE), AND THE FLAP INDICATOR WENT TO 21 DEGS. WE CYCLED THE FLAPS 2 TIMES WITH SAME RESULTS. WE TALKED ABOUT IT, THE FLAPS APPEARED ALL NORMAL OTHER THAN THE 1 DEG DIFFERENCE IN INDICATION. WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF, SO WE ELECTED TO TAKE OFF. UNEVENTFUL FLT TO OAK. ONCE PARKED AT OAKLAND, I MADE AN ENTRY INTO THE ACFT MAINT LOGBOOK, INDICATING THE DIFFERENCE (1 DEG) AMONG THE DIAL-A-FLAP SELECTOR, THE FLAP INDICATOR AND THE 22 DEG DETENT. BRIEFED THE ACFT MECH WHO MET US AT THE PLANE. IT WAS ONLY ON A SUBSEQUENT FLT THAT WE DECIDED (AND REMEMBERED) THAT WE COULD HAVE REFED TO THE MEL. MUCH TO OUR SURPRISE, THE DIAL-A-FLAP WAS LISTED AS A 'FLAG' ITEM, WHICH MEANT WE SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE EWR RAMP AND HAD IT REPAIRED PRIOR TO TKOF. THE MEL STATED THE DIAL-A-FLAP MUST 'OPERATE NORMALLY.' WHAT DOES 'NORMALLY' MEAN? IS IT EXACT -- IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE SELECT 17.9 DEG FLAPS AND IT INDICATES 17.8 OR 18.0 (ON A 20 YR OLD AIRPLANE), DOES THAT MEAN IT IS OUT OF TOLERANCE? I REALLY BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC EVIDENCE IN THE MEL (WHEN I TOLD THE MECH ABOUT IT IN OAK HE SAID, 'OH YEAH, WE SEE THAT A LOT'). SO IT MUST BE COMMON. THERE WERE SOME OUTSIDE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MY DECISION TO CONTINUE: 1) NEVER SEEN THIS PROB BEFORE, UNFAMILIAR WITH IT. 2) 20 YR OLD AIRPLANE. POSSIBLE WEAR ON MOVING PARTS, THEREBY 'SLOPPY' MOVEMENT OF DIAL-A-FLAP HANDLE. 3) TALKED ABOUT IT WITH OTHER CREW MEMBERS. NONE HAD A PROB OR THOUGHT OF THE MEL UNTIL NEXT FLT, OR FELT IT UNSAFE IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. 4) WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF. DID NOT FEEL IT NECESSARY TO RETURN TO GATE (WE WERE WRONG). 5) ON BOARD WAS A COMPANY CHK AIRMAN, ADMINISTERING A CHK RIDE TO ME. HE SAW WHAT WE DID, NEVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE 'ARE YOU GUYS SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?' AFTERWARDS DURING THE DEBRIEF (BUT PRIOR TO THE NEXT FLT WHERE WE AS A CREW REALIZED IT WAS A FLAP ITEM) I ASKED THE CHK AIRMAN FOR INPUT REGARDING THE FLAP HANDLE AND HE SAID 'I SAW WHAT YOU DID, OK WITH ME.' 6) ONLY AFTER HE LEFT, AND WE WERE ON A SUBSEQUENT FLT, WE RESEARCHED IT AND FOUND OUT THE REQUIREMENT TO RETURN TO GATE AT EWR. 7) I FOLLOWED UP WITH ACFT MAINT AND CONFIRMED THE ACFT HAD BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE IT FLEW AGAIN. NEXT TIME, I WILL CHK THE MEL AT THE MOST MINOR MECHANICAL PROB ON THE GND. MY CREW AND I DEBRIEFED THIS EXTENSIVELY. WE KNOW WHAT TO DO BETTER NEXT TIME.

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.