[304065]

Bob, it wasn't a B727, it was a McDonnell Douglas MD-80, Northwest Flight 255. You are right about the 20 years ago, that's a day I will never forget because I stood on the hill holding a candle for about a decade as they read the names, sometimes nine in a row with the same last name.

I don't care what the NTSB said, not putting the flaps down is the same as not opening your fly. What NTSB/Douglas never told you is there were HUNDREDS of reports of unsolicited flap retractions, some one side, some both, that required the flap handle to be recycled to properly configure the aircraft for takeoff. But it's just easier to blame the dead guys like the NTSB always does. If I ever auger in I suppose they will blame me too.

Actually, there's nothing wrong with lowering the flaps prior to takeoff on the active. If the airplane is not correctly configured for takeoff there IS a system that's supposed to tell you that when you advance the throttles beyond a certain point-- and guess what, 255 had the same system, called CAWS or cockpit aural warning system, that was supposed to say "Flaps, Flaps" to warn the crew-- guess what it didn't work that night, but nobody went after Klixon, the manufacturer of the circuit breaker-- ask the commercial pilots here what they do when a circuit doesn't work-- you might get some good answers.