A FOKKER 28 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A KNOWN ENG OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR MALFUNCTION BUT NOT ENTERED IN LOGBOOK.

Date: 1999-08 · Aircraft: F28 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: ground

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

A FOKKER 28 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A KNOWN ENG OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR MALFUNCTION BUT NOT ENTERED IN LOGBOOK.

Narrative

MY FLC AND I RECEIVED OUR ACFT FROM THE INBOUND CREW WITH APPROX 25 MINS UNTIL OUR SCHEDULED DEP TIME. AS I DID MY PREFLT INSPECTION I NOTED A MECHANICAL IRREGULARITY THAT WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY LED TO A DELAY IN DEP TIME OR POSSIBLY THE CANCELLATION OF THE FLT. THE IRREGULARITY WAS A FAULTY OIL PRESSURE GAUGE THAT WOULD CAUSE ERRONEOUS AND UNRELIABLE READINGS. I CHOSE TO IGNORE THE DISCREPANCY AND MADE EVERY EFFORT FOR AN ON TIME DEP. RECENT LETTERS TO THE ACR PLTS FROM OUR PRESIDENT/CEO WZZXX HAS INTIMIDATED PLTS TO THE POINT OF IGNORING MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES. IT IS THE POS OF THE COMPANY THAT PLTS WHO ARE MAKING MAINT WRITE-UPS ARE PARTICIPATING IN A WORK SLOWDOWN. IT IS BELIEVED BY THE PLTS THAT WE FACE POSSIBLE REPRIMAND FROM THE COMPANY IF WE ARE CONSIDERED PART OF A SLOWDOWN. IN FACT; RUMOR HAS IT AS MANY AS 20 CAPTS ARE ON A LIST AND FACE SUSPENSION. MY PRIOR 2 FLTS HAD BEEN CANCELED DUE TO A MAINT WRITE UP I HAD MADE. I HAD AN UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING AFTER THOSE 2 CANCELLATIONS; NOW FEELING LIKE A TARGET. ODDLY ENOUGH; IT WAS THE SAME IRREGULARITY THAT I WAS AGAIN FACING. I BELIEVED THAT HAD I MADE ANOTHER WRITE-UP SO SOON AFTER 2 CANCELLATIONS; I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY FACED SCRUTINY BY THE COMPANY. AT THE SAME TIME; I BELIEVED THAT I WOULD FACE SCRUTINY IF THEY KNEW ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY AND I DIDN'T WRITE IT UP. IT WAS A 'CATCH 22.' I MADE THE DECISION TO NOT RPT THE IRREGULARITY BASED ON MY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS LESS LIKELY THEY KNEW THE ACFT HAD THE SAME DISCREPANCY.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.