B747-200
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Aircraft Equipment Problem Dissipated; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
Inside of thirty miles; started configuring aircraft for approach and landing. Selecting 5 deg of flaps with lever; noticed outboard flaps indicator split with one needle stuck at approximately 3 deg and the other needle oscillated back and forth between 3 and 10 degrees before settling at 10 deg. No asymmetric roll was noted at this time. Continued to configure for a flap 30 landing; with the outboard flap indicator stuck in a split condition. Needles were stuck in the 3 and 10 degree position. It was apparent that the outboard flaps had not extended due to the increased nose up pitch during approach. Due to landing with less than flight plan fuel; we elected to add 20 KTS to Vref to ensure controllability and continued approach and landed uneventfully. Left flaps extended after landing for Maintenance to verify flap position. During taxi in; the stuck indicator somehow freed itself; and the outboard flaps extended. Cause: Possible malfunctioning flap indicator.
B747-200 Captain reported outboard flaps showed a split and did not fully extend on approach. Possible stuck indicator freed itself on taxi in; allowing flaps to extend.