A B757-200 INCURRED AN AVOIDABLE 1 HR AND 33 MIN DELAY DUE TO MAINT LACK OF MGMNT; COM AND GROSS INCOMPETENCE.

Narrative

THE FO RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AFTER THE WALKAROUND INSPECTION AND RPTED A FLUID LEAK BENEATH THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR AND THAT MAINT HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. THE LEAK WAS ENTERED INTO THE LOGBOOK ABOUT 30 MINS BEFORE DEP. THE FIRST MECH APPEARED AFTER DEP TIME; BUT ONLY WHEN MAINT WAS CALLED AGAIN BY THE FO; THE GATE AGENT AND RAMP TWR. THE FIRST MECH ORDERED THE HYD SYS PRESSURIZED AND BRAKES PUMPED. THE CAPT COMPLIED. THE FIRST MECH RPTED A BRAKE CHANGE WAS NEEDED AS #5 BRAKE APPEARED TO BE LEAKING AND WOULD TAKE APPROX 1.5 HRS. THE GATE AGENT CALLED RAMP AND ELECTED TO DEPLANE THE PAX. ABOUT HALFWAY INTO DEPLANING; MECHS #2 AND #3 SHOWED UP ON THE JETBRIDGE ASKING THE FLT ATTENDANTS (JETBRIDGE FULL OF PAX) WHY THE PAX WERE DEPLANING BECAUSE THEY WERE SIGNING OFF THE LOGBOOK. MECHS #2 AND #3 ENTERED THE COCKPIT OBVIOUSLY UPSET. THE LATTER MECHS ORDERED HYDS ON AND BRAKES PUMPED. NO LEAKS FOUND AND LOGBOOK ENTRY SIGNED OFF. PAX REBOARDED. THE CAPT THEN CALLED DISPATCH TO QUESTION AN ACARS MESSAGE THAT DISPATCHER TURNED DOWN MEL 32-02B PLACARD. AS WE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE ABOUT 25 PEOPLE BEHIND FOR THE RETURN TRIP DUE TO CLB AND RWY LIMIT PENALTIES; AND ALSO TO INFORM DISPATCHER THAT LOGBOOK HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF AND NO PLACARD WAS REQUIRED. WHILE ON JETBRIDGE THE CAPT NOTICED MECH #1 ARRIVE WITH BRAKE CHANGING EQUIP THAT WAS POSITIONED UNDER L MAIN GEAR. THE CAPT WENT ONTO RAMP AND INFORMED MECH THAT LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED OFF. MECH SAID HE WAS GOING TO CHANGE BRAKE. THE CAPT THEN REQUESTED ANOTHER MAINT SUPVR WHO PROMPTLY LOOKED AT MAIN LNDG GEAR AND FOUND NO LEAKS. HE TOLD MECH #1 TO REMOVE THE EQUIP AND WE DEPARTED 1 HR 33 MINS LATE.