Narrative:

Following the first flight of the day, it was discovered that a piece of protective tape on the leading edge of one of the blades of the #1 propeller had come loose and was hanging from the blade by that portion still stuck to the blade. The captain removed the tape and called maintenance control preparatory to placing an informational write-up in the maintenance log. We were both of the opinion that this was appropriate action for this particular situation and that it had been handled like this previously. However, the maintenance controller informed the captain that this was not a deferrable item and we were told to ferry the aircraft to jax where all 8 propeller blades were re-taped. The following day, on our first flight, we found an aircraft with an informational write- up for tape missing from a propeller blade. The captain checked with maintenance control and was told that they (maintenance control) might have been mistaken the previous day! Pending a final decision and the information write-up being 2 days old, it was decided that we should fly our 2 scheduled (revenue) legs to jax. We did so, the propeller was re-taped and we continued our remaining flts for the day. At the end of the day, the captain again contacted the company and told me he had been informed that the maintenance controller had been correct the previous day and the missing tape was indeed not deferrable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MDT FO RPTS THAT HE FLEW AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT. ACFT EQUIP PROB PROP BLADE TAPE MISSING ON 1 BLADE. FAULTY LOGBOOK WRITE-OFF.

Narrative: FOLLOWING THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A PIECE OF PROTECTIVE TAPE ON THE LEADING EDGE OF ONE OF THE BLADES OF THE #1 PROP HAD COME LOOSE AND WAS HANGING FROM THE BLADE BY THAT PORTION STILL STUCK TO THE BLADE. THE CAPT REMOVED THE TAPE AND CALLED MAINT CTL PREPARATORY TO PLACING AN INFORMATIONAL WRITE-UP IN THE MAINT LOG. WE WERE BOTH OF THE OPINION THAT THIS WAS APPROPRIATE ACTION FOR THIS PARTICULAR SIT AND THAT IT HAD BEEN HANDLED LIKE THIS PREVIOUSLY. HOWEVER, THE MAINT CTLR INFORMED THE CAPT THAT THIS WAS NOT A DEFERRABLE ITEM AND WE WERE TOLD TO FERRY THE ACFT TO JAX WHERE ALL 8 PROP BLADES WERE RE-TAPED. THE FOLLOWING DAY, ON OUR FIRST FLT, WE FOUND AN ACFT WITH AN INFORMATIONAL WRITE- UP FOR TAPE MISSING FROM A PROP BLADE. THE CAPT CHKED WITH MAINT CTL AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY (MAINT CTL) MIGHT HAVE BEEN MISTAKEN THE PREVIOUS DAY! PENDING A FINAL DECISION AND THE INFO WRITE-UP BEING 2 DAYS OLD, IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD FLY OUR 2 SCHEDULED (REVENUE) LEGS TO JAX. WE DID SO, THE PROP WAS RE-TAPED AND WE CONTINUED OUR REMAINING FLTS FOR THE DAY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CAPT AGAIN CONTACTED THE COMPANY AND TOLD ME HE HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT THE MAINT CTLR HAD BEEN CORRECT THE PREVIOUS DAY AND THE MISSING TAPE WAS INDEED NOT DEFERRABLE.

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.