Narrative:

In its quest for cost cutting our company has laid off or retired a lot of experienced mechanics and choose to carry over maintenance problems rather than fix them. In july our new maintenance vice president promised that through it all safety and FAA compliance would have priority over any cost cutting or other pressures. Apparently it's not true. Upon preflight we found a mco sticker on the autothrottles. Checking our MEL, we saw that maintenance actions were required. Captain wanted to know what was required and to verify it was done. Call was placed to maintenance approximately 20-25 mins prior to push back. Approximately 3-5 mins prior to push back a mechanic shows up and states that 'the item has been on mco for 2 days without anyone questioning it and that any delay taken would be charged to flight crew.' captain said fine and went to call maintenance coordinator on phone. Mechanic left and then returned before captain tried to explain to them that we were just trying to do our job and that we didn't appreciate delay blame threats. One mechanic says 'I never said that and I'll swear to it in court.' the other mechanic admitted he said it. They repeated that mco was 2 days old and no one else questioned it. Reminded them that people had received time off for flying with an 'ok' mco. They maintained all was ok and they did not want to cause an undue delay. Found out that ats system was to be disabled with switches in cockpit (they had not been disabled). Also found that MEL number was for other type of FMS found on some L1011's, but not ours. So not only has cost cutting required us to fly with inoperative equipment, it has caused mechanics to have misplaced priorities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MECH DISAGREEMENT ABOUT DEFERRED INOP AUTOTHROTTLES. INCOMPLETE MAINT ACTION FOUND.

Narrative: IN ITS QUEST FOR COST CUTTING OUR COMPANY HAS LAID OFF OR RETIRED A LOT OF EXPERIENCED MECHS AND CHOOSE TO CARRY OVER MAINT PROBS RATHER THAN FIX THEM. IN JULY OUR NEW MAINT VICE PRESIDENT PROMISED THAT THROUGH IT ALL SAFETY AND FAA COMPLIANCE WOULD HAVE PRIORITY OVER ANY COST CUTTING OR OTHER PRESSURES. APPARENTLY IT'S NOT TRUE. UPON PREFLT WE FOUND A MCO STICKER ON THE AUTOTHROTTLES. CHKING OUR MEL, WE SAW THAT MAINT ACTIONS WERE REQUIRED. CAPT WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS REQUIRED AND TO VERIFY IT WAS DONE. CALL WAS PLACED TO MAINT APPROX 20-25 MINS PRIOR TO PUSH BACK. APPROX 3-5 MINS PRIOR TO PUSH BACK A MECH SHOWS UP AND STATES THAT 'THE ITEM HAS BEEN ON MCO FOR 2 DAYS WITHOUT ANYONE QUESTIONING IT AND THAT ANY DELAY TAKEN WOULD BE CHARGED TO FLC.' CAPT SAID FINE AND WENT TO CALL MAINT COORDINATOR ON PHONE. MECH LEFT AND THEN RETURNED BEFORE CAPT TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT WE WERE JUST TRYING TO DO OUR JOB AND THAT WE DIDN'T APPRECIATE DELAY BLAME THREATS. ONE MECH SAYS 'I NEVER SAID THAT AND I'LL SWEAR TO IT IN COURT.' THE OTHER MECH ADMITTED HE SAID IT. THEY REPEATED THAT MCO WAS 2 DAYS OLD AND NO ONE ELSE QUESTIONED IT. REMINDED THEM THAT PEOPLE HAD RECEIVED TIME OFF FOR FLYING WITH AN 'OK' MCO. THEY MAINTAINED ALL WAS OK AND THEY DID NOT WANT TO CAUSE AN UNDUE DELAY. FOUND OUT THAT ATS SYS WAS TO BE DISABLED WITH SWITCHES IN COCKPIT (THEY HAD NOT BEEN DISABLED). ALSO FOUND THAT MEL NUMBER WAS FOR OTHER TYPE OF FMS FOUND ON SOME L1011'S, BUT NOT OURS. SO NOT ONLY HAS COST CUTTING REQUIRED US TO FLY WITH INOP EQUIP, IT HAS CAUSED MECHS TO HAVE MISPLACED PRIORITIES.

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.