Maintenance signoff in question with regards to airworthiness.

Attributes
ACN	303612
Time
Date	199504
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : nrt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000
ASRS Report	303612
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In doing my normal preflight duties before a departure to san, I checked the logbook on my aircraft operated by air carrier X. The daily maintenance check was signed off by the company maintenance personnel properly and in compliance with flight operations manual 1.204. However, there was no airworthiness signoff and I did not catch this. I continued my preflight duties and flew the aircraft to san and back to phx. This is a gray area because flight operations manual 1.205 states that 'the airworthiness release requirement can be satisfied by a daily check,' but paragraph 1.204 states that the captain is responsible for checking both the daily and airworthiness are signed off. Not being clear on this, I will assume that I flew an aircraft that was not legally airworthy and therefore in violation with the FAA. I would suggest a clearer description and understanding of this requirement by our airlines on 1.204 and 1.205 of the flight operations manual.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAINT SIGNOFF IN QUESTION WITH REGARDS TO AIRWORTHINESS.

Narrative: IN DOING MY NORMAL PREFLT DUTIES BEFORE A DEP TO SAN, I CHKED THE LOGBOOK ON MY ACFT OPERATED BY ACR X. THE DAILY MAINT CHK WAS SIGNED OFF BY THE COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL PROPERLY AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH FLT OPS MANUAL 1.204. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO AIRWORTHINESS SIGNOFF AND I DID NOT CATCH THIS. I CONTINUED MY PREFLT DUTIES AND FLEW THE ACFT TO SAN AND BACK TO PHX. THIS IS A GRAY AREA BECAUSE FLT OPS MANUAL 1.205 STATES THAT 'THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE REQUIREMENT CAN BE SATISFIED BY A DAILY CHK,' BUT PARAGRAPH 1.204 STATES THAT THE CAPT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHKING BOTH THE DAILY AND AIRWORTHINESS ARE SIGNED OFF. NOT BEING CLR ON THIS, I WILL ASSUME THAT I FLEW AN ACFT THAT WAS NOT LEGALLY AIRWORTHY AND THEREFORE IN VIOLATION WITH THE FAA. I WOULD SUGGEST A CLEARER DESCRIPTION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THIS REQUIREMENT BY OUR AIRLINES ON 1.204 AND 1.205 OF THE FLT OPS MANUAL.

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.