A CANADAIR CL65 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN UNANSWERED OPEN LOG RPT ON 'PROX SYS FAULT MESSAGE.' CAUSED BY LOGBOOK CONFUSION.

Narrative

I AND A FO OPERATED FLT FOR COMPANY X USING ACFT X. DURING THE PREFLT PREPARATIONS; I CHKED THE ACFT LOGBOOK IN MY NORMAL MANNER; WHICH IS: 1) CHK THE WT AND BAL NUMBERS AGAINST THE PLACARD ON THE FO'S YOKE; 2) CHK THE VOR COMPLIANCE; 3) CHK THE 100 HR DEMONSTRATED THRUST LOG; AND 4) CHK THE CURRENT LOGBOOK PAGE TO BE SURE THERE ARE NO OPEN WRITE-UPS. WHEN I FIRST BECAME A CAPT; I WOULD SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME PORING OVER PAGES OF MAINT WRITE-UPS -- WANTING TO MAKE SURE EVERY ITEM HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH IN THE PROPER TIME FRAME; ETC. AT SOME POINT IN MY ONGOING TRAINING; I WAS TOLD FAIRLY SPECIFICALLY NOT TO SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON THE MAINT RECORDS - WHICH I DID; STREAMING MY PROCESS TO THE ONE DESCRIBED ABOVE. I BELIEVE THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE MAINT DID NOT PROPERLY TAKE CARE OF THE WRITE-UP ON THIS ACFT FOR A 'PROX SYS FAULT MESSAGE.' THE CURRENT LOGBOOK PAGE SHOWED NO OPEN WRITE-UP. THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AT PLAY IN THIS INCIDENT: THE NEW LOGBOOK SET UP IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM OUR LAST SET UP. ALSO; IT'S HIGHLY UNINTUITIVE. AND; WE CAPTS WERE GIVEN NO TRAINING ON HOW TO USE THE NEW SYS. THE INSTRUCTIONS IN OUR MANUAL WERE NOT VERY CLR; AND WERE REDUCED TO SUCH A SMALL SIZE THAT THEY WERE NOT ENTIRELY READABLE. IT WAS WITH NO SMALL SENSE OF IRONY THAT I READ MY FIRST NOTE FROM THE CHIEF PLT SAYING MY PAPERWORK WAS FAULTY. NO TRAINING; AND THEN CRITICISM WHEN DONE WRONG. HOW THIS PARTICULAR OPEN WRITE-UP WAS DISCOVERED WAS PROBABLY BY A WILEY OLD CAPT WHO PAYS NO ATTN TO THE ADMONITIONS OF THOSE WHO WANT US TO GO FASTER; BUT TAKES HIS TIME AND LOOKS OVER PAGES AND PAGES OF MAINT STUFF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 614046: IT APPEARS THAT I FLEW A FLT WITH AN OPEN WRITE-UP IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK WHICH I OVERLOOKED. A FEW MONTHS EARLIER; WE (OUR COMPANY) CHANGED LOGBOOK DESIGN AND LAYOUT. I BELIEVE THAT THE CURRENT LOGBOOK SYS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW AND IT'S VERY EASY TO MISS ERRORS AND IT'S VERY EASY TO CREATE ERRORS.