Narrative:

Our first leg was bdl-ewr. On preflight I noticed the AT42 listing to one side. I informed the captain. He agreed and he notified maintenance control and entered a discrepancy in the logbook. Maintenance arrived, serviced the strut, and 'signed off' the discrepancy. I personally questioned the mechanic, and he stated the aircraft was safe to fly. After landing in ewr, the aircraft once again started to list while taxiing around a tight corner. Once again we notified maintenance control and they serviced the strut. I again personally questioned the mechanics. They explained the nature of the problem and convinced me the aircraft was safe to fly. Our flight attendant refused to fly the aircraft again, as she said she felt unsafe. We got a new flight attendant and flew from ewr-mvy-ewr. In ewr, the mechanics serviced the struts again and we flew from ewr-ack-ewr where we switched aircraft for the rest of the day. There were numerous 'write-ups' regarding 'struts' in the previous 2 days. The next day, the company did permanently fix the problem. I think it should have been fixed earlier (not just serviced) to prevent a loss of confidence in the aircraft from any crew member. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the listing was so bad that while taxiing this flight crew got calls from other aircraft, questioning whether they knew that they had a flat tire. The main concern of the reporter is that this problem just kept getting passed along. Then, the flight attendant who refused to fly took pictures of the aircraft and threatened to send them to the FAA if the company wanted to pursue the matter of her refusal any further. This flight attendant had been in trouble in the past for missed trips and as a result of the pressure that she was under she fought back, this time with a very serious accusation. The reporter will be more wary in the future as far as accepting explanations for mechanical problems that are not working out. The final outcome is that the strut had to be replaced and the flight attendant did not have any action taken against her for getting off the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AT42 FLC CONTINUALLY EXPERIENCED PROBS WITH A LNDG GEAR SHOCK STRUT. THE PROB WAS WRITTEN UP SEVERAL TIMES DURING A TRIP AND WAS NEVER ADEQUATELY REPAIRED. THE FLT ATTENDANT STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS UNSAFE AND REFUSED TO FLY. MAINT FINALLY REPLACED THE STRUT THE FOLLOWING DAY.

Narrative: OUR FIRST LEG WAS BDL-EWR. ON PREFLT I NOTICED THE AT42 LISTING TO ONE SIDE. I INFORMED THE CAPT. HE AGREED AND HE NOTIFIED MAINT CTL AND ENTERED A DISCREPANCY IN THE LOGBOOK. MAINT ARRIVED, SERVICED THE STRUT, AND 'SIGNED OFF' THE DISCREPANCY. I PERSONALLY QUESTIONED THE MECH, AND HE STATED THE ACFT WAS SAFE TO FLY. AFTER LNDG IN EWR, THE ACFT ONCE AGAIN STARTED TO LIST WHILE TAXIING AROUND A TIGHT CORNER. ONCE AGAIN WE NOTIFIED MAINT CTL AND THEY SERVICED THE STRUT. I AGAIN PERSONALLY QUESTIONED THE MECHS. THEY EXPLAINED THE NATURE OF THE PROB AND CONVINCED ME THE ACFT WAS SAFE TO FLY. OUR FLT ATTENDANT REFUSED TO FLY THE ACFT AGAIN, AS SHE SAID SHE FELT UNSAFE. WE GOT A NEW FLT ATTENDANT AND FLEW FROM EWR-MVY-EWR. IN EWR, THE MECHS SERVICED THE STRUTS AGAIN AND WE FLEW FROM EWR-ACK-EWR WHERE WE SWITCHED ACFT FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. THERE WERE NUMEROUS 'WRITE-UPS' REGARDING 'STRUTS' IN THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS. THE NEXT DAY, THE COMPANY DID PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROB. I THINK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED EARLIER (NOT JUST SERVICED) TO PREVENT A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN THE ACFT FROM ANY CREW MEMBER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE LISTING WAS SO BAD THAT WHILE TAXIING THIS FLC GOT CALLS FROM OTHER ACFT, QUESTIONING WHETHER THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE MAIN CONCERN OF THE RPTR IS THAT THIS PROB JUST KEPT GETTING PASSED ALONG. THEN, THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO REFUSED TO FLY TOOK PICTURES OF THE ACFT AND THREATENED TO SEND THEM TO THE FAA IF THE COMPANY WANTED TO PURSUE THE MATTER OF HER REFUSAL ANY FURTHER. THIS FLT ATTENDANT HAD BEEN IN TROUBLE IN THE PAST FOR MISSED TRIPS AND AS A RESULT OF THE PRESSURE THAT SHE WAS UNDER SHE FOUGHT BACK, THIS TIME WITH A VERY SERIOUS ACCUSATION. THE RPTR WILL BE MORE WARY IN THE FUTURE AS FAR AS ACCEPTING EXPLANATIONS FOR MECHANICAL PROBS THAT ARE NOT WORKING OUT. THE FINAL OUTCOME IS THAT THE STRUT HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE FLT ATTENDANT DID NOT HAVE ANY ACTION TAKEN AGAINST HER FOR GETTING OFF THE FLT.

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.