Narrative:

Upon arrival at the aircraft, air carrier flight xx from den to oak, I completed my SOP cockpit set up. The aircraft, XXXX, had arrived at the gate in den about 5 mins before I got there. I proceeded to do my walkaround exterior inspection and noticed that there were a total of 2 broken static bonding wires on the #3 (left inboard) and #6 (right outboard) leading edge flaps. I immediately reported this discrepancy to air carrier den line maintenance. A few mins later our mechanic and a supervisor came up to the cockpit and demanded to see where these broken bonding wires were. I promptly showed them. I knew that it was required to operate the large transport with at least 1 bonding wire per leading edge device. The maintenance supervisor read air carrier's maintenance manual and decided to clip the broken bonding wires off. His interpretation of the manual was that only 1 bonding wire need be functional for each side of the aircraft. I questioned him on this and he assured me that it was ok to go this way. He seemed in a big hurry due to the fact that our scheduled departure time was rapidly approaching. At air carrier a maintenance person's performance is judged by how close to departure time they can get a flight out. If a certain mechanic has too many delays he is not promoted as quickly. I find this policy to be a safety hazard. We left the gate on time and proceeded to oak. Upon arrival I did another walkaround and found that the maintenance supervisor had indeed clipped the bond wires on #3 and #6. I called our main maintenance controller in sfo and he told me we required 1 bond wire per leading edge device. Needless to say, we got them replaced in oak and were late on our returning flight. The fact that pilots of air carrier airlines are not provided with aircraft MEL's is definitely unsafe. I have to trust a mechanic to interpret his maintenance manual correctly. We were dispatched with an illegal aircraft and yet we were assured by our maintenance people that it was legal. I need the information to make up my own mind--after all it is my FAA license riding on the outcome. Most other far 121 air carrier's have the MEL in the cockpit of every one of their aircraft. Why it is not required of air carrier is beyond me. This information is known only to our main maintenance people in sfo. I realize that maintenance delays are not part of the public reporting system that the airlines use, however air carrier has some sort of program to encourage mechanics to do jobs quickly. I'd personally rather have the job done correctly and legally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST INTERP DISPUTE BETWEEN FLT CREW MEMBER AND MAINTENANCE SUPVR REGARDING LEGALITY OF DISPATCH WITH BROKEN STATIC BONDING WIRES. UNABLE CALLBACK.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT THE ACFT, ACR FLT XX FROM DEN TO OAK, I COMPLETED MY SOP COCKPIT SET UP. THE ACFT, XXXX, HAD ARRIVED AT THE GATE IN DEN ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE I GOT THERE. I PROCEEDED TO DO MY WALKAROUND EXTERIOR INSPECTION AND NOTICED THAT THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 2 BROKEN STATIC BONDING WIRES ON THE #3 (LEFT INBOARD) AND #6 (RIGHT OUTBOARD) LEADING EDGE FLAPS. I IMMEDIATELY RPTED THIS DISCREPANCY TO ACR DEN LINE MAINT. A FEW MINS LATER OUR MECH AND A SUPVR CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND DEMANDED TO SEE WHERE THESE BROKEN BONDING WIRES WERE. I PROMPTLY SHOWED THEM. I KNEW THAT IT WAS REQUIRED TO OPERATE THE LGT WITH AT LEAST 1 BONDING WIRE PER LEADING EDGE DEVICE. THE MAINT SUPVR READ ACR'S MAINT MANUAL AND DECIDED TO CLIP THE BROKEN BONDING WIRES OFF. HIS INTERP OF THE MANUAL WAS THAT ONLY 1 BONDING WIRE NEED BE FUNCTIONAL FOR EACH SIDE OF THE ACFT. I QUESTIONED HIM ON THIS AND HE ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS OK TO GO THIS WAY. HE SEEMED IN A BIG HURRY DUE TO THE FACT THAT OUR SCHEDULED DEP TIME WAS RAPIDLY APCHING. AT ACR A MAINT PERSON'S PERFORMANCE IS JUDGED BY HOW CLOSE TO DEP TIME THEY CAN GET A FLT OUT. IF A CERTAIN MECH HAS TOO MANY DELAYS HE IS NOT PROMOTED AS QUICKLY. I FIND THIS POLICY TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD. WE LEFT THE GATE ON TIME AND PROCEEDED TO OAK. UPON ARR I DID ANOTHER WALKAROUND AND FOUND THAT THE MAINT SUPVR HAD INDEED CLIPPED THE BOND WIRES ON #3 AND #6. I CALLED OUR MAIN MAINT CTLR IN SFO AND HE TOLD ME WE REQUIRED 1 BOND WIRE PER LEADING EDGE DEVICE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE GOT THEM REPLACED IN OAK AND WERE LATE ON OUR RETURNING FLT. THE FACT THAT PLTS OF ACR AIRLINES ARE NOT PROVIDED WITH ACFT MEL'S IS DEFINITELY UNSAFE. I HAVE TO TRUST A MECH TO INTERPRET HIS MAINT MANUAL CORRECTLY. WE WERE DISPATCHED WITH AN ILLEGAL ACFT AND YET WE WERE ASSURED BY OUR MAINT PEOPLE THAT IT WAS LEGAL. I NEED THE INFO TO MAKE UP MY OWN MIND--AFTER ALL IT IS MY FAA LICENSE RIDING ON THE OUTCOME. MOST OTHER FAR 121 ACR'S HAVE THE MEL IN THE COCKPIT OF EVERY ONE OF THEIR ACFT. WHY IT IS NOT REQUIRED OF ACR IS BEYOND ME. THIS INFO IS KNOWN ONLY TO OUR MAIN MAINT PEOPLE IN SFO. I REALIZE THAT MAINT DELAYS ARE NOT PART OF THE PUBLIC RPTING SYS THAT THE AIRLINES USE, HOWEVER ACR HAS SOME SORT OF PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE MECHS TO DO JOBS QUICKLY. I'D PERSONALLY RATHER HAVE THE JOB DONE CORRECTLY AND LEGALLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.