A B757-200 CREW FLEW WITH A BOLT HEAD BROKEN OFF FROM NO 4 WHEEL.

Narrative

ACFT WAS PARKED ON A REMOTE HARD STAND. DURING PREFLT DUTIES WHILE PAX WERE BOARDING; A MAINT MAN CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED TO SPEAK TO US. HE SAID HE WAS THE MAINT PERSONNEL AND THAT THE NUMBER FOUR TIRE HAD A BOLT HEAD BROKEN OFF. IT WAS RPTED THAT IT WAS DISCOVERED LAST NIGHT AND THAT THE MAINT CTLR WAS NOTIFIED AND OK'D THE FLT TO ZZZ FOR REPAIRS. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PROB HAD NO SAFETY IMPLICATIONS AND THE BOLT ONLY HELD A RING IN PLACE AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HOLDING THE WHEEL ON. I WENT DOWN TO LOOK AT THE WHEEL AND ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE MAINT SUPVR. I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE SAME INDIVIDUAL THAT I MET IN THE COCKPIT. HE ASSURED ME AGAIN THAT THERE WERE NO SAFETY IMPLICATIONS AND THE MAINT CTLR WAS AWARE OF THE PROB. I ASKED FOR A PLACARD AND WAS TOLD THE MAINT CTLR DID NOT WANT TO PLACARD THE ACFT; BUT WANTED ME TO FLY THE ACFT TO ZZZ FOR REPAIRS. I DID. ON THE GND WE WERE TOLD WE FLEW WITH A NO-GO ITEM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 628352: DURING PREFLT IN ZZZZ; A MAINT TECHNICIAN CAME ON THE ACFT AND TOLD US THERE WAS A BOLT ON THE #4 TIRE THAT HAD A BOLT HEAD SHEARED OFF. HE SAID HE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE MAINT CTLR SINCE THE NIGHT BEFORE; AND THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROB. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THERE WERE NO TIRES IN ZZZZ AND WE WERE TO FLY TO ZZZ WHERE THE TIRE WOULD BE REPLACED. THE CAPT LOOKED AT THE TIRE AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED A PLACARD. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT THE MAINT CTLR SAID THERE WAS NO NEED AND EVERYONE WAS AWARE OF THE PROB. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE BOLT WAS NO BIG DEAL AND WAS NOT NEEDED TO HOLD THE TIRE ON THE ACFT. UPON LNDG AT ZZZ; WE WERE INFORMED BY CHIEF PLT THAT THE BOLT IN QUESTION WAS A NO-GO ITEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 628345 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT STATED THE LOCAL GND CREW HAD BEEN COUNSELED. THE CAPT ALSO SAID THE NEXT TIME HE WOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT IN THE MAINT LOG TO EITHER BE DEFERRED OR SIGNED OFF.