Narrative:

I was the flying copilot from ord to lhr on a B777. Our pushback was delayed 30 mins due to an air cycle machine valve whose MEL restrs required us to contact dispatch for individual runway weight performance (we could not get it ourselves). We pushed back; got our final weights and performance numbers from dispatch and started our taxi to runway 27L; the only available runway we could use from the ord ATIS. We completed the takeoff checklist down to the final items with flaps 15 degrees reduced. There was WX south of ord moving east. Holding short of runway 27L at taxiway F; tower told us to cross runway 27L around lake; join the line-up and shut them down due to a 50 min delay for takeoff. We were going north away from the WX; so after crossing runway 27L; we asked for and got clearance to change our runway to runway 14R with no delay. After crossing runway 27L; the active departure runway; again we held short of T10 on taxiway T. I sent via ACARS dispatch a request for new performance numbers on runway 14R; the bunkie attempted with no success to reach dispatch via radio. Just as I was about to put the runway 14R numbers into the FMC; tower asks if we can take off on runway 9R. We said to stand by; because we knew it would take longer than normal to get those runway 9R numbers from dispatch. We got them and told tower we could take off runway 9R. They told us to make the turn at T10 but hold short of runway 14R; the active landing runway. The new numbers were for flaps 5 degrees; not flaps 15 degrees. As I put them in the FMC; tower told us to cross runway 14R for the short taxi to runway 9R. We were #1. Proceeding to runway 9; all the numbers were in the FMC and MCP. I was on the second page of the takeoff checklist with everything being green (checked off) except for final items. But; the flaps were still at flaps 15 degrees and our FMC numbers were for flaps 5 degrees. We discussed rerunning the entire checklist; but didn't. I recalled the EICAS and got no indication of abnormalities and completed the final items of the takeoff checklist. The takeoff felt completely normal; but when I started to bring up the flaps; I realized we were not at flaps 5 degrees. Our takeoff gross weight as 532K pounds; looking at the manual; the difference in v-spds from flaps 5 degrees to flaps 15 degrees is about 6 KTS. So; we had 6 KTS more speed than required for a flaps 15 degree takeoff. I am used to the runway shuffle and have always been able to handle the pace of changing circumstances at ord. It's no excuse; but only being able to get the numbers from dispatch 3 different times added to the runway shuffle distrs. How many times have we been told; 'if there is a change; rerun the entire checklist?' what I have learned is; on the B777; it's 'reset the entire checklist!' supplemental information from acn 698195: there was some discussion between the captain and flying first officer regarding the center of gravity and trim. I did not see it but the flying first officer put in flaps 5 degrees into the FMC takeoff page. So we now had flaps 5 degrees in the FMC with flaps 5 degrees data and flaps 15 degrees extended. Since the handle was not moved; I did not think we needed to redo the takeoff checklist. We were cleared for takeoff. I looked down at the takeoff data about 80-90 KTS which was laying near the FMC and noticed the data said flaps 5 degrees. Since I knew we would be faster than we needed to be at rotation by about 5 KTS; I did not say anything that might create a high speed abort. Bottom line was we took off with flaps 15 degrees extended and flaps 5 degree numbers. This was not a big deal as long as the field was not balanced for an abort decision and we were slightly faster than a normal flaps 15 degree takeoff. However; if this happened in the opposite direction; ie; takeoff with flaps 5 degrees extended and flaps 15 degrees data in the box; then you would be rotating slower than normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLT CREW WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF HAS A RWY CHANGE AND NEGLECTS TO RESET FLAPS FOR THE NEW RWY REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: I WAS THE FLYING COPLT FROM ORD TO LHR ON A B777. OUR PUSHBACK WAS DELAYED 30 MINS DUE TO AN AIR CYCLE MACHINE VALVE WHOSE MEL RESTRS REQUIRED US TO CONTACT DISPATCH FOR INDIVIDUAL RWY WT PERFORMANCE (WE COULD NOT GET IT OURSELVES). WE PUSHED BACK; GOT OUR FINAL WTS AND PERFORMANCE NUMBERS FROM DISPATCH AND STARTED OUR TAXI TO RWY 27L; THE ONLY AVAILABLE RWY WE COULD USE FROM THE ORD ATIS. WE COMPLETED THE TKOF CHKLIST DOWN TO THE FINAL ITEMS WITH FLAPS 15 DEGS REDUCED. THERE WAS WX S OF ORD MOVING E. HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 27L AT TXWY F; TWR TOLD US TO CROSS RWY 27L AROUND LAKE; JOIN THE LINE-UP AND SHUT THEM DOWN DUE TO A 50 MIN DELAY FOR TKOF. WE WERE GOING N AWAY FROM THE WX; SO AFTER XING RWY 27L; WE ASKED FOR AND GOT CLRNC TO CHANGE OUR RWY TO RWY 14R WITH NO DELAY. AFTER XING RWY 27L; THE ACTIVE DEP RWY; AGAIN WE HELD SHORT OF T10 ON TXWY T. I SENT VIA ACARS DISPATCH A REQUEST FOR NEW PERFORMANCE NUMBERS ON RWY 14R; THE BUNKIE ATTEMPTED WITH NO SUCCESS TO REACH DISPATCH VIA RADIO. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO PUT THE RWY 14R NUMBERS INTO THE FMC; TWR ASKS IF WE CAN TAKE OFF ON RWY 9R. WE SAID TO STAND BY; BECAUSE WE KNEW IT WOULD TAKE LONGER THAN NORMAL TO GET THOSE RWY 9R NUMBERS FROM DISPATCH. WE GOT THEM AND TOLD TWR WE COULD TAKE OFF RWY 9R. THEY TOLD US TO MAKE THE TURN AT T10 BUT HOLD SHORT OF RWY 14R; THE ACTIVE LNDG RWY. THE NEW NUMBERS WERE FOR FLAPS 5 DEGS; NOT FLAPS 15 DEGS. AS I PUT THEM IN THE FMC; TWR TOLD US TO CROSS RWY 14R FOR THE SHORT TAXI TO RWY 9R. WE WERE #1. PROCEEDING TO RWY 9; ALL THE NUMBERS WERE IN THE FMC AND MCP. I WAS ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THE TKOF CHKLIST WITH EVERYTHING BEING GREEN (CHKED OFF) EXCEPT FOR FINAL ITEMS. BUT; THE FLAPS WERE STILL AT FLAPS 15 DEGS AND OUR FMC NUMBERS WERE FOR FLAPS 5 DEGS. WE DISCUSSED RERUNNING THE ENTIRE CHKLIST; BUT DIDN'T. I RECALLED THE EICAS AND GOT NO INDICATION OF ABNORMALITIES AND COMPLETED THE FINAL ITEMS OF THE TKOF CHKLIST. THE TKOF FELT COMPLETELY NORMAL; BUT WHEN I STARTED TO BRING UP THE FLAPS; I REALIZED WE WERE NOT AT FLAPS 5 DEGS. OUR TKOF GROSS WT AS 532K LBS; LOOKING AT THE MANUAL; THE DIFFERENCE IN V-SPDS FROM FLAPS 5 DEGS TO FLAPS 15 DEGS IS ABOUT 6 KTS. SO; WE HAD 6 KTS MORE SPD THAN REQUIRED FOR A FLAPS 15 DEG TKOF. I AM USED TO THE RWY SHUFFLE AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE THE PACE OF CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES AT ORD. IT'S NO EXCUSE; BUT ONLY BEING ABLE TO GET THE NUMBERS FROM DISPATCH 3 DIFFERENT TIMES ADDED TO THE RWY SHUFFLE DISTRS. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE BEEN TOLD; 'IF THERE IS A CHANGE; RERUN THE ENTIRE CHKLIST?' WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IS; ON THE B777; IT'S 'RESET THE ENTIRE CHKLIST!' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 698195: THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION BTWN THE CAPT AND FLYING FO REGARDING THE CTR OF GRAVITY AND TRIM. I DID NOT SEE IT BUT THE FLYING FO PUT IN FLAPS 5 DEGS INTO THE FMC TKOF PAGE. SO WE NOW HAD FLAPS 5 DEGS IN THE FMC WITH FLAPS 5 DEGS DATA AND FLAPS 15 DEGS EXTENDED. SINCE THE HANDLE WAS NOT MOVED; I DID NOT THINK WE NEEDED TO REDO THE TKOF CHKLIST. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE TKOF DATA ABOUT 80-90 KTS WHICH WAS LAYING NEAR THE FMC AND NOTICED THE DATA SAID FLAPS 5 DEGS. SINCE I KNEW WE WOULD BE FASTER THAN WE NEEDED TO BE AT ROTATION BY ABOUT 5 KTS; I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING THAT MIGHT CREATE A HIGH SPD ABORT. BOTTOM LINE WAS WE TOOK OFF WITH FLAPS 15 DEGS EXTENDED AND FLAPS 5 DEG NUMBERS. THIS WAS NOT A BIG DEAL AS LONG AS THE FIELD WAS NOT BALANCED FOR AN ABORT DECISION AND WE WERE SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN A NORMAL FLAPS 15 DEG TKOF. HOWEVER; IF THIS HAPPENED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION; IE; TKOF WITH FLAPS 5 DEGS EXTENDED AND FLAPS 15 DEGS DATA IN THE BOX; THEN YOU WOULD BE ROTATING SLOWER THAN NORMAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.