Narrative:

I reported to the aircraft to preflight. There were several maintenance items idented during preflight (missing microphone at captain's seat; 1000 pound difference between total fuel indicated and fuel remaining from previous flight plus fuel added; no hydraulic fluid showing in cargo door reservoir; light bulb out in aft air stairs; no trash bags; rapid bleed off of hydraulic brake accumulator). As each item was discovered I notified the mechanic on duty. Each of these discrepancies should have been caught and corrected during his preflight. In any event, as scheduled block out time approached, he continued to work on the problems. He came to the cockpit shortly before block time and signed off each discrepancy. Nothing was deferred. We departed on schedule and arrived at destination. On preflight for the next leg I found the same light in the aft air stair inoperative. I mentioned it to maintenance but did not remember to enter it in the logbook because of attention to other maintenance problems and they did not get a chance to fix the light. The next leg was back to the original point of departure for an rdn. The same mechanic was on duty the next night. I reported to the aircraft 45 mins prior to departure for preflight. Once again, I found several items that should have been taken care of (engine and APU oil service not in logbook; discrepancy, automatic temperature control inoperative, deferred but not entered in MEL log and no placards installed; fuel on board 200 pounds less than min release). One thing I found though was that the aft air stair light had been fixed but no logbook entry was made. The mechanic came to the cockpit to clear up the discrepancies. All 3 crew members were present. I brought up the inoperative light and said 'last night I pointed it out and you signed off the logbook as replaced bulb, but on landing at destination it was out again and still out when we returned here. But tonight without any logbook action the light is fixed. Did you really fix the light or just sign it off?' his reply was 'I'm not going to take a delay for a service item.' a discussion followed and he said I couldn't prove he pencil whipped the discrepancy not realizing what he was saying in front of 2 witnesses. Integrity aside, this mechanic is symptomatic of a company wide problem where the pressure to meet some artificial block time results in safety and proper procedure taking a second seat. Although a light bulb is a minor thing the attitude prevails and transfers to more serious problems. The ongoing appearance of discrepancies on preflight that should have been caught further erodes confidence in safety of our fleet. A change in attitude of the company to put safety above service will encourage maintenance to do the right things.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGES GND PERSONNEL WROTE OFF MAINT ITEMS WITHOUT REPAIRING THOSE ITEMS.

Narrative: I RPTED TO THE ACFT TO PREFLT. THERE WERE SEVERAL MAINT ITEMS IDENTED DURING PREFLT (MISSING MICROPHONE AT CAPT'S SEAT; 1000 POUND DIFFERENCE BTWN TOTAL FUEL INDICATED AND FUEL REMAINING FROM PREVIOUS FLT PLUS FUEL ADDED; NO HYD FLUID SHOWING IN CARGO DOOR RESERVOIR; LIGHT BULB OUT IN AFT AIR STAIRS; NO TRASH BAGS; RAPID BLEED OFF OF HYD BRAKE ACCUMULATOR). AS EACH ITEM WAS DISCOVERED I NOTIFIED THE MECH ON DUTY. EACH OF THESE DISCREPANCIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT AND CORRECTED DURING HIS PREFLT. IN ANY EVENT, AS SCHEDULED BLOCK OUT TIME APCHED, HE CONTINUED TO WORK ON THE PROBLEMS. HE CAME TO THE COCKPIT SHORTLY BEFORE BLOCK TIME AND SIGNED OFF EACH DISCREPANCY. NOTHING WAS DEFERRED. WE DEPARTED ON SCHEDULE AND ARRIVED AT DEST. ON PREFLT FOR THE NEXT LEG I FOUND THE SAME LIGHT IN THE AFT AIR STAIR INOPERATIVE. I MENTIONED IT TO MAINT BUT DID NOT REMEMBER TO ENTER IT IN THE LOGBOOK BECAUSE OF ATTN TO OTHER MAINT PROBLEMS AND THEY DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO FIX THE LIGHT. THE NEXT LEG WAS BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POINT OF DEP FOR AN RDN. THE SAME MECH WAS ON DUTY THE NEXT NIGHT. I RPTED TO THE ACFT 45 MINS PRIOR TO DEP FOR PREFLT. ONCE AGAIN, I FOUND SEVERAL ITEMS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF (ENG AND APU OIL SVC NOT IN LOGBOOK; DISCREPANCY, AUTO TEMP CTL INOPERATIVE, DEFERRED BUT NOT ENTERED IN MEL LOG AND NO PLACARDS INSTALLED; FUEL ON BOARD 200 POUNDS LESS THAN MIN RELEASE). ONE THING I FOUND THOUGH WAS THAT THE AFT AIR STAIR LIGHT HAD BEEN FIXED BUT NO LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE. THE MECH CAME TO THE COCKPIT TO CLR UP THE DISCREPANCIES. ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS WERE PRESENT. I BROUGHT UP THE INOP LIGHT AND SAID 'LAST NIGHT I POINTED IT OUT AND YOU SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK AS REPLACED BULB, BUT ON LNDG AT DEST IT WAS OUT AGAIN AND STILL OUT WHEN WE RETURNED HERE. BUT TONIGHT WITHOUT ANY LOGBOOK ACTION THE LIGHT IS FIXED. DID YOU REALLY FIX THE LIGHT OR JUST SIGN IT OFF?' HIS REPLY WAS 'I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE A DELAY FOR A SVC ITEM.' A DISCUSSION FOLLOWED AND HE SAID I COULDN'T PROVE HE PENCIL WHIPPED THE DISCREPANCY NOT REALIZING WHAT HE WAS SAYING IN FRONT OF 2 WITNESSES. INTEGRITY ASIDE, THIS MECH IS SYMPTOMATIC OF A COMPANY WIDE PROBLEM WHERE THE PRESSURE TO MEET SOME ARTIFICIAL BLOCK TIME RESULTS IN SAFETY AND PROPER PROC TAKING A SECOND SEAT. ALTHOUGH A LIGHT BULB IS A MINOR THING THE ATTITUDE PREVAILS AND TRANSFERS TO MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS. THE ONGOING APPEARANCE OF DISCREPANCIES ON PREFLT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT FURTHER ERODES CONFIDENCE IN SAFETY OF OUR FLEET. A CHANGE IN ATTITUDE OF THE COMPANY TO PUT SAFETY ABOVE SVC WILL ENCOURAGE MAINT TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS.

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.