Flight crew operated an medium large transport without maintenance sign-off in the aircraft log for ...

Attributes
ACN	285188
Time
Date	199410
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	285188
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While dealing with a maintenance discrepancy and while talking to the maintenance controller and flight dispatcher, we were given dispatcher approval and were assured by maintenance control that we were authority/authorized to install an mco placard in the logbook to defer maintenance on an item. After dispatch (with approval) we referred in greater depth to our policy manual and determined that maintenance was required to sign the release and placard the item because we were at a maintenance station. Due the time pressures we were assured that everything was legal and since it was departure time we dispatched. Also, due to the condition of the industry and pressure for producing a profit, many of our personnel, with the greatest experience, are being replaced with those of inadequate training and experience in addition to a reduction in staff. This continued pressure to 'do more with less' and the continued corporate pressure to produce results at any cost is having a direct effect on the 'safety factor' that has been an envy of the industry. I hope this trend will not continue.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OPERATED AN MLG WITHOUT MAINT SIGN-OFF IN THE ACFT LOG FOR A DEFERRED MAINT DISCREPANCY.

Narrative: WHILE DEALING WITH A MAINT DISCREPANCY AND WHILE TALKING TO THE MAINT CTLR AND FLT DISPATCHER, WE WERE GIVEN DISPATCHER APPROVAL AND WERE ASSURED BY MAINT CTL THAT WE WERE AUTH TO INSTALL AN MCO PLACARD IN THE LOGBOOK TO DEFER MAINT ON AN ITEM. AFTER DISPATCH (WITH APPROVAL) WE REFERRED IN GREATER DEPTH TO OUR POLICY MANUAL AND DETERMINED THAT MAINT WAS REQUIRED TO SIGN THE RELEASE AND PLACARD THE ITEM BECAUSE WE WERE AT A MAINT STATION. DUE THE TIME PRESSURES WE WERE ASSURED THAT EVERYTHING WAS LEGAL AND SINCE IT WAS DEP TIME WE DISPATCHED. ALSO, DUE TO THE CONDITION OF THE INDUSTRY AND PRESSURE FOR PRODUCING A PROFIT, MANY OF OUR PERSONNEL, WITH THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE, ARE BEING REPLACED WITH THOSE OF INADEQUATE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE IN ADDITION TO A REDUCTION IN STAFF. THIS CONTINUED PRESSURE TO 'DO MORE WITH LESS' AND THE CONTINUED CORPORATE PRESSURE TO PRODUCE RESULTS AT ANY COST IS HAVING A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE 'SAFETY FACTOR' THAT HAS BEEN AN ENVY OF THE INDUSTRY. I HOPE THIS TREND WILL NOT CONTINUE.

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.

Flight crew operated an medium large transport without maintenance sign-off in the aircraft log for a deferred maintenance discrepancy.