Narrative:

On jan/xx/95 aircraft #1 was placed in maintenance for a propeller problem after a ferry flight from an outstation. Maintenance corrected the problem and signed off the logbooks. The crew who returned the aircraft to service 'questioned' maintenance about the need for an nts (negative torque sensing) flight check prior to return to service, maintenance said no, it was not necessary. This all transactioned on the (xs). On the (xy) of jan/xx/95. I and copilot were assigned aircraft for revenue flight. The aircraft had been flown in revenue service prior to our assignment -- not sure how many crews or flts. We flew aircraft 4 flts and found no open discrepancies in maintenance logs and all flts were normal and uneventful. After our 4TH flight, a return to mco base, another crew was assigned this aircraft and we were assigned another aircraft. We found out from the crew and a ramp maintenance person that the aircraft did indeed need a flight check prior to its return to service. Maintenance control removed the aircraft from service and had it test flown and subsequently signed off for return to service -- by the same crew who was earlier told it was not necessary. We as flcs do not have access to the maintenance books, or the a&P knowledge to know when an item is signed off by maintenance. That it is incorrect. We trust these a&ps to be right. Sometimes, with experience, we learn, but even as in this case, maintenance forgoes our questions and signs off anyway. I should hope we are not held accountable in these instances!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT NOT MAINT FLT TESTED PRIOR TO RELEASE TO SVC AFTER PROP MAINT.

Narrative: ON JAN/XX/95 ACFT #1 WAS PLACED IN MAINT FOR A PROP PROB AFTER A FERRY FLT FROM AN OUTSTATION. MAINT CORRECTED THE PROB AND SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOKS. THE CREW WHO RETURNED THE ACFT TO SVC 'QUESTIONED' MAINT ABOUT THE NEED FOR AN NTS (NEGATIVE TORQUE SENSING) FLT CHK PRIOR TO RETURN TO SVC, MAINT SAID NO, IT WAS NOT NECESSARY. THIS ALL TRANSACTIONED ON THE (XS). ON THE (XY) OF JAN/XX/95. I AND COPLT WERE ASSIGNED ACFT FOR REVENUE FLT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN IN REVENUE SVC PRIOR TO OUR ASSIGNMENT -- NOT SURE HOW MANY CREWS OR FLTS. WE FLEW ACFT 4 FLTS AND FOUND NO OPEN DISCREPANCIES IN MAINT LOGS AND ALL FLTS WERE NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. AFTER OUR 4TH FLT, A RETURN TO MCO BASE, ANOTHER CREW WAS ASSIGNED THIS ACFT AND WE WERE ASSIGNED ANOTHER ACFT. WE FOUND OUT FROM THE CREW AND A RAMP MAINT PERSON THAT THE ACFT DID INDEED NEED A FLT CHK PRIOR TO ITS RETURN TO SVC. MAINT CTL REMOVED THE ACFT FROM SVC AND HAD IT TEST FLOWN AND SUBSEQUENTLY SIGNED OFF FOR RETURN TO SVC -- BY THE SAME CREW WHO WAS EARLIER TOLD IT WAS NOT NECESSARY. WE AS FLCS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE MAINT BOOKS, OR THE A&P KNOWLEDGE TO KNOW WHEN AN ITEM IS SIGNED OFF BY MAINT. THAT IT IS INCORRECT. WE TRUST THESE A&PS TO BE RIGHT. SOMETIMES, WITH EXPERIENCE, WE LEARN, BUT EVEN AS IN THIS CASE, MAINT FORGOES OUR QUESTIONS AND SIGNS OFF ANYWAY. I SHOULD HOPE WE ARE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE IN THESE INSTANCES!

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.