2008-03 · NASA ASRS report 778089
MD80 CAPT REFUSES AN ACFT AFTER DISCOVERING A REPETITIVE HYDRAULIC WRITE-UP THAT FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN THREE DAYS NEEDED SERVICING.
ORIGINAL ACFT ASSIGNED TO FLT WAS ACFT X. PREVIOUS FLT CREW WROTE UP R HYD SYS REQUIRED SVCING. THIS WAS THE THIRD WRITE-UP FOR SVCING IN 4 DAYS. WE SUSPECTED A POSSIBLE LEAK. THE MECH ASSIGNED TO THE CALL SVCED THE R SYS AND PERFORMED A CURSORY INSPECTION. NO LEAKS WERE DETECTED. CONCURRENTLY; I REQUESTED THAT A MAINT SUPVR COME TO THE ACFT IN ORDER TO ADDRESS MY CONCERNS. NUMEROUS RADIO AND PHONE CALLS WERE ATTEMPTED. NO SUPVR EVER CAME. I WAS TOLD TO CALL A MAINT SUPVR STATIONED IN THE RAMP TWR. SEVERAL CALLS WERE PLACED; AND EITHER THE LINE WAS BUSY; OR THERE WAS NO ANSWER. FINALLY; THE ASSIGNED MECH INFORMED US THAT NO FURTHER INSPECTIONS WOULD BE PERFORMED. IN ORDER TO DO SO; THE SVCING HAD TO OCCUR OVER 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. 3 OUT OF 4 DAYS DID NOT QUALIFY. AT THAT POINT I REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE ACFT. 2 DAYS LATER I DID A CHK ON THE COMPUTER; AND LEARNED THAT MAINT FOUND THE R HYD XFER CYLINDER LEAKING. THEY REMOVED AND REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE CYLINDER. ON A PERSONAL NOTE; I AM DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED WITH OUR MAINT DEPT. THEY HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED MY HIGHEST LEVEL OF RESPECT. HOWEVER; THIS TIME THEY CLEARLY WERE MORE INTERESTED IN KEEPING A SCHEDULE THAN FOLLOWING OUR #1 PRECEPT -- THAT SAFETY IS FIRST.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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