A300 CREW LEFT WITH AN OPEN LOG DISCREPANCY ITEM.

Narrative

DURING BEFORE STARTING ENGS CHKLIST; 5 MINS PRIOR PORTION; DISCUSSION ENSUED ABOUT MY DIFFICULTY IN ANCHORING PURSER TO PROVIDE THOROUGH BRIEFING. AT THE SAME MOMENT; THE GATE AGENT UNDER SUPERVISION AND WORKING AN OVERBOOKED FLT WAS VERY EAGER TO GET US OUT ON TIME. THE CREW ALSO UNDER SUPERVISION; JOINED IN EXACTLY AT THIS TIME. THIS WAS CAPPED OFF BY THE PURSER USING A NON STANDARD READY FOR DEP COMMENT THAT FORCED US TO RECONFIRM THAT SHE WAS ACTUALLY READY FOR DEP. DURING THIS HECTIC PERIOD; CHKLIST DISCIPLINE WAS COMPROMISED AND ITEM LOGBOOK AND FORMS WERE APPROPRIATELY RESPONDED TO. HOWEVER; MY USUAL AUDIT OF THE LOGBOOK WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. PREVIOUS TO THIS ITEM ON THE CHKLIST; I HAD YET TO REVIEW THE LOGBOOK THOROUGHLY. AFTER DEP; CONTRARY TO MY INITIAL REVIEW; THE CHK AIRMAN FOUND THAT AN OPEN ITEM EXISTED IN THE BOOK. IN RETROSPECT; THIS ITEM -- LOGBOOK; AND FLT FORMS -- IS LOCATED AT A VERY HECTIC PERIOD; APCHING THE ACTUAL PUSHBACK PHASE. IT MAY BE BETTER SUITED EARLIER IN THE CHKLIST TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR REVIEW; CREW DISCUSSION; AND MEL COMPLIANCE.