Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 95.53; Flight Crew Total 15748; Flight Crew Type 6126
Time Pressure; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Aircraft
On approach into ZZZ; near the ZZZZZ waypoint at an altitude 6;000 feet on the FMS ZZZZZ1 Visual Runway XXR approach course; the First Officer (FO); who was PF; asked for Flaps 1.  I moved the Flap handle from UP to position 1.  A TE FLAP DISAGREE EICAS message appeared.  I informed ATC we would not be able to continue the approach.  ATC provided radar vectors off the approach course to the west of ZZZ. The FO continued in the role as PF as we ran the TE FLAP DISAGREE non-normal checklist.I [requested priority] with ATC.With clear; day VMC; a headwind on final; a 3;450 foot runway requirement; and two 10;000+ foot runways available; ZZZ was the obvious best choice for landing.   I typed an ACARS message to Dispatch stating PRIOR TRAILING EDGE FLAPS DISAGREE FLAP 20 LANDNG ZZZ (sic).  Dispatch replied with an ACARS message that the tower had been advised.After the event I spoke with the dispatcher and we discussed my ACARS message. He correctly interpreted the 'Prior' in my message as 'Priority.'  In the future; I would not abbreviate that word so that no interpretation would be involved.I appreciated that he could see we were at a low altitude in the terminal area with a landing at ZZZ being the obvious best course of action with nearly perfect weather and ample runway; and that he kept his communication during this event brief and to the point.I called the purser and [briefed them]; with no Evac preparation necessary or special instructions.   I then made an announcement to the passengers explaining our delay and that we would be landing in ZZZ shortly.The FO and I then changed roles and I acted as PF for the Flaps 20 landing; flying the ILS XXL with the full runway length available in visual conditions. During taxi-in we decided to leave the flaps at 20 and informed ramp and operations.  We are able to proceed and park at gate X.We entered a Maintenance defect. I discussed the defect with Maintenance who arrived on the flight deck. This person described a component; apparently visible in the wheel; that indicated a protection feature had activated.   The FO and I debriefed the event using the debrief card as our guide.  We felt the event had gone well.In particular; the aircraft had a history of flap and slat Maintenance defects; and the FO had brought this to my attention during preflight planning.  Prior to our event; we had already looked at the QRH for one of the previously reported Maintenance defects and read through the checklist; identifying switches and selectors; and saw that a Flaps 20 landing would be the likely outcome.  We both felt this exercise proved to be useful.
Arriving on ZZZZZ5 into ZZZ; we had just passed ZZZZZ2 and were cleared to 6K. At 230 kts; we selected Flaps 1 and got TE Flap Disagree EICAS. This was a repeat maintenance write up. I was flying; so Captain requested to break off approach and get vectors while we ran the QRH checklist. He also coordinated with ATC; informed dispatch and the FA's. He [advised ATC]; and we requested ILS XXL once we were ready to land. Flaps were configured to 20 using the alternate extension. CA took over Pilot Flying duties once the checklist was complete. We made an uneventful F20 [Flaps 20] landing on XXL and taxied to the gate.
Pilots reported a flap problem; requested priority handling; and then made a safe landing at original destination airport.