ETOPS FLT TO OGG DEPARTS WITH POSSIBLY ILLEGAL MAINT LOG DUE TO DEMANDS AND IMPLIED THREATS TO PIC SHOULD HE REFUSE TO DEPART.

Date: 2005-10 · Aircraft: B757-200 · Phase: ground

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

ETOPS FLT TO OGG DEPARTS WITH POSSIBLY ILLEGAL MAINT LOG DUE TO DEMANDS AND IMPLIED THREATS TO PIC SHOULD HE REFUSE TO DEPART.

Narrative

A CONTRACT MECH PERFORMED AN ETOPS CHK PRIOR TO DEP. ACFT LOGBOOK PRESENTED TO CREW 10 MINS BEFORE DEP TIME. THE FO AND I INSPECTED THE ACFT LOG IN PRESENCE OF THE MECH. I DISCOVERED THE REQUIRED 'LINE SVC' CHK HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED. REVIEW OF PREVIOUS LOGBOOK INDICATED THE LAST PROPERLY ENTERED LINE SVC CHK WAS COMPLETED ON OCT/SUN/05. THE ACFT HAD A LOG ENTRY IN THE SECOND DISCREPANCY BOX INDICATING 'LINE SVC CHK WORK CARD DUE OCT/TUE/05.' THE CORRECTIVE ACTION SIGNED OFF; BUT THE WORDING OF 'LINE SVC COMPLETED' WAS NOT ENTERED. ALSO; NO 'LINE SVC MAINT CHK' OR 'AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE' WITH DATE AND SIGNATURE OF MECH IN THE APPROPRIATE BOXES IN THE UPPER R-HAND CORNER OF LOG HAD BEEN ENTERED; WHICH IS REQUIRED. THE MECH AGREED THE LOGBOOK WAS NOT LEGAL FOR FLT. WE CALLED MR Y IN COMPANY MAINT CTL. AFTER A DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUE; THEY WERE UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE LOGBOOK PROB; SO I WAS HANDED THE PHONE. THE MAINT CTLR STATED THE LINE SVC CHK HAD BEEN COMPLETED ON OCT/WED/05 EVEN THOUGH THE ACFT LOGBOOK DID NOT REFLECT THE WORK COMPLETED. I REQUESTED A FAX HARD COPY OF THE LOG PAGE IN QUESTION AND WAS INFORMED THE LOG PAGE WAS IN TRANSIT; BUT THE ENTRY WAS INDICATED IN THE MAINT COMPUTER -- A SYS THAT IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE FAA; THAT THE LINE SVC HAD BEEN COMPLIED AND COMPLETED. I REQUESTED A COMPUTER HARD COPY BE FAXED SO IT COULD BE PLACED IN THE ACFT LOG; EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THAT WASN'T LEGAL AND MAINT CTL FAILED TO PROVIDE IT AND WOULD NOT GIVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER TO ITS LEGALITY. I REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO THE REGIONAL CHIEF PLT. THE REGIONAL CHIEF PLT ASSURED ME THE LINE SVC HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND THE ACFT LOG WAS LEGAL. I AGAIN QUESTIONED HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR THE LOGBOOK TO BE LEGAL WITHOUT THE PROPER ENTRIES; AND WAS TOLD IT WAS CONCLUDED THE WORK WAS DONE; IF THERE IS ANY PROB; THEY'LL TAKE THE HIT FOR IT; 'JUST GO!' I ARGUED MY CASE AS FAR AS I DARED. WE WERE 20 MINS BEYOND DEP TIME WITH PAX ALL ON BOARD. IN THE TONE I WAS TOLD TO 'JUST GO' I WAS CONFIDENT THAT HAD I NOT JUST GONE; I WOULD BE TRAVELING TO HEADQUARTERS WHERE I WOULD BE DOING A CARPET DANCE WITH QUESTIONABLE UNION REPRESENTATION. KNOWING I WOULD BE AT THE RECEIVING END OF COMPANY HOSTILITIES; I WENT TO MAUI.

More incidents for this aircraft family →

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