Narrative:

While reviewing the aircraft logbook at the gate in cle for preflight of the first flight of the day, I noticed a write up concerning a nose gear down pop up pin indicator in the cockpit as not working correctly. I noticed it had been deferred and later fixed. I then noticed the pin in our cockpit was not in the correct position and notified maintenance. In the meantime I looked in the MEL and noticed that it appeared that the pin was not necessary. When maintenance arrived he indicated that it would probably be deferred and I wrote it up. After some delay the maintenance man returned and at that time the pin somehow had returned to the correct position. He informed me that with the write up in the book we would have a long delay fixing it and that it couldn't be deferred as we thought earlier but since it was working now would I consider voiding the entry. I felt that since we had a good gear down indication in the cockpit (green light) and the pin was working now, I went ahead and voided the entry. On the leg, however I had second thoughts and felt that I shouldn't have voided the entry because even though it was working good then, there was a history of it malfunctioning and I could lose my backup if the nose gear light didn't work. In the future I'm not going to let maintenance talk me into anything west/O first thinking it through completely and considering all the ramifications. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter participated in the boeing study. Aircraft was late getting on the gate resulting in a very rushed preflight. Company policy to make every effort to get the first trip out on time. Maintenance would be leaving at xb:00 and if the write-up was not voided contract maintenance would have to be called.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOGBOOK ENTRY CLEARED BY VOIDING THE WRITE UP BY THE CAPT.

Narrative: WHILE REVIEWING THE ACFT LOGBOOK AT THE GATE IN CLE FOR PREFLT OF THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY, I NOTICED A WRITE UP CONCERNING A NOSE GEAR DOWN POP UP PIN INDICATOR IN THE COCKPIT AS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. I NOTICED IT HAD BEEN DEFERRED AND LATER FIXED. I THEN NOTICED THE PIN IN OUR COCKPIT WAS NOT IN THE CORRECT POS AND NOTIFIED MAINT. IN THE MEANTIME I LOOKED IN THE MEL AND NOTICED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE PIN WAS NOT NECESSARY. WHEN MAINT ARRIVED HE INDICATED THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE DEFERRED AND I WROTE IT UP. AFTER SOME DELAY THE MAINT MAN RETURNED AND AT THAT TIME THE PIN SOMEHOW HAD RETURNED TO THE CORRECT POS. HE INFORMED ME THAT WITH THE WRITE UP IN THE BOOK WE WOULD HAVE A LONG DELAY FIXING IT AND THAT IT COULDN'T BE DEFERRED AS WE THOUGHT EARLIER BUT SINCE IT WAS WORKING NOW WOULD I CONSIDER VOIDING THE ENTRY. I FELT THAT SINCE WE HAD A GOOD GEAR DOWN INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT (GREEN LIGHT) AND THE PIN WAS WORKING NOW, I WENT AHEAD AND VOIDED THE ENTRY. ON THE LEG, HOWEVER I HAD SECOND THOUGHTS AND FELT THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE VOIDED THE ENTRY BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS WORKING GOOD THEN, THERE WAS A HISTORY OF IT MALFUNCTIONING AND I COULD LOSE MY BACKUP IF THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT DIDN'T WORK. IN THE FUTURE I'M NOT GOING TO LET MAINT TALK ME INTO ANYTHING W/O FIRST THINKING IT THROUGH COMPLETELY AND CONSIDERING ALL THE RAMIFICATIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR PARTICIPATED IN THE BOEING STUDY. ACFT WAS LATE GETTING ON THE GATE RESULTING IN A VERY RUSHED PREFLT. COMPANY POLICY TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO GET THE FIRST TRIP OUT ON TIME. MAINT WOULD BE LEAVING AT XB:00 AND IF THE WRITE-UP WAS NOT VOIDED CONTRACT MAINT WOULD HAVE TO BE CALLED.

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.