Air carrier PIC complains of lack of effective maintenance on one particular aircraft, stating that ...

Attributes
ACN	151667
Time
Date	199007
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : grr
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 5010
ASRS Report	151667
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft being flown has a history of transponder problem. On several occasions in the course of flying a grr-dtw-ind-dtw-grr route on 2 nights controllers advised us that the aircraft's reported altitude was differing from the actual altitude. The company's maintenance was advised of the problem, and the aircraft was 'written up'. As a suggestion I would like to see the FAA really tighten up on operators who consistently 'field repair' act, but don't fix the underlying cause/problem. An examination of this aircraft's logbooks will reveal radio and transponder problems going back for yrs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter showed some frustration regarding this situation but indicated that he was not to a point as yet where he would want to rack the boat or entangle his career in an attempt to correct the issue. He stated that there is a shakeup in the management of the corporation and he will adopt a wait and see attitude to see what happens. Aircraft age is the problem with reported aircraft and he just wants the maintenance personnel to chase all the 'gremlins' out O the wiring. It sometimes takes more than one write up to get something changed or repaired on this aircraft. Reporter was advised to submit further reports if situation continued with no improvement and he agreed to do so.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC COMPLAINS OF LACK OF EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE ON ONE PARTICULAR ACFT, STATING THAT LACK OF APPLIED OBJECTIVITY IS ONE CAUSE OF A STATE OF NON REPAIR, THE OTHER BEING ACFT AGE.

Narrative: ACFT BEING FLOWN HAS A HISTORY OF XPONDER PROB. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN THE COURSE OF FLYING A GRR-DTW-IND-DTW-GRR RTE ON 2 NIGHTS CTLRS ADVISED US THAT THE ACFT'S RPTED ALT WAS DIFFERING FROM THE ACTUAL ALT. THE COMPANY'S MAINT WAS ADVISED OF THE PROB, AND THE ACFT WAS 'WRITTEN UP'. AS A SUGGESTION I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FAA REALLY TIGHTEN UP ON OPERATORS WHO CONSISTENTLY 'FIELD REPAIR' ACT, BUT DON'T FIX THE UNDERLYING CAUSE/PROB. AN EXAMINATION OF THIS ACFT'S LOGBOOKS WILL REVEAL RADIO AND XPONDER PROBS GOING BACK FOR YRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR SHOWED SOME FRUSTRATION REGARDING THIS SITUATION BUT INDICATED THAT HE WAS NOT TO A POINT AS YET WHERE HE WOULD WANT TO RACK THE BOAT OR ENTANGLE HIS CAREER IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. HE STATED THAT THERE IS A SHAKEUP IN THE MGMNT OF THE CORPORATION AND HE WILL ADOPT A WAIT AND SEE ATTITUDE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. ACFT AGE IS THE PROB WITH RPTED ACFT AND HE JUST WANTS THE MAINT PERSONNEL TO CHASE ALL THE 'GREMLINS' OUT O THE WIRING. IT SOMETIMES TAKES MORE THAN ONE WRITE UP TO GET SOMETHING CHANGED OR REPAIRED ON THIS ACFT. RPTR WAS ADVISED TO SUBMIT FURTHER RPTS IF SITUATION CONTINUED WITH NO IMPROVEMENT AND HE AGREED TO DO SO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Air carrier PIC complains of lack of effective maintenance on one particular aircraft, stating that lack of applied objectivity is one cause of a state of non repair, the other being aircraft age.