Narrative:

I met with my engineer in the pilot briefing room at about XA00 local and spoke with him briefly. He introduced me to his newly hired IOE student engineer about to operate his first B747 flight. The flight departure papers noted a special procedure required before each flight. 'Speed tape' needed to be applied to a small area on the port side of the fuselage where the left inboard flap, missing its rubber seal, could rub on the aircraft's skin. The so and IOE so went out to the aircraft at about XA25 local (more than 2 hours before scheduled departure time). The so reviewed the aircraft logbook and performed an unusually long and thorough exterior inspection with his IOE student. Myself and the first officer completed the flight planning and arrived at the aircraft about XB40 local. We went to our flight stations and performed our cockpit checks, aligned loaded and checked the INS navigation system, checked the ATIS, got our IFR clearance to anc and discussed the particulars of the departure procedure to be used. I discussed the condition of the aircraft with the so and he said we were good to go. He had carefully inspected the 'tape job' and he was satisfied with it. He said the mechanics still have to sign off the logbook. In the final one half hour before departure the cockpit was like grand central station. Captain, first officer and so were at their flight stations. The so instructor was in the #1 jump seat (behind the captain) caterers came aboard and left, along with fuelers, mechanics, weight and balance personnel and even an off line pilot jump seat rider. The weight and balance was brought to us at the last possible min to still depart on time. The so reviewed the weight and balance paperwork and computed the takeoff data card. I signed the weight and balance forms, handed a copy to the loader and he departed the aircraft. Finally the doors were closed, checklists complete, and we blocked at XC35 local (1 min late). After 15 mins of taxi time we were airborne at XC50 local. At XC58 local we received an ACARS message to call flight control. The dispatcher told us the logbook is not aboard the aircraft. I heard my so say 'oh no!' flight control said they would sendthe logbook to anc on the next flight to anc. We continued our climb. At XD29 local we received a second ACARS message. It said maintenance had determined that aircraft must be returned to sdf. A dispatch (amend release to read) to return to sdf was also included along with information about ATC preparing a fuel dump procedure for us. The so determined that by the time we returned to sdf we would be light enough to not need fuel dump. We were in cruise flight at FL350 near chicago. We accepted dispatch, declined the fuel dump and returned to sdf. We blocked in at XE45 local with a landing weight of 582000 pounds. In sdf I learned that logbook was removed from the aircraft after the preflight was completed. When the IOE so responded 'logbook and flight papers on board' during the before start checklist there were in fact several logbooks on board, but the (most current) logbook had been removed by maintenance and not returned before scheduled departure time. I was astounded when a 'line mechanic' came to me and said he knew the logbook was not aboard and wanted to notify us before engine start and block out, but was over-ruled by his maintenance supervisor! He was ordered to let the aircraft block and told the logbook would be sent to us on another flight. The dispatchers irregularity report says he was first notified that the logbook was not aboard at XC47 local. Assuming 5 mins to start 4 engines, and accomplish the after start checklist the maintenance supervisor withheld this information from dispatch for 17 mins. Even so, I don't know why the dispatcher didn't pick up the phone and tell the sdf tower cabin attendant to have us return to the ramp. Maintenance says that they returned the aircraft to sdf to accomplish 2 open items on the list. 1) apply the speed tape, and 2) perform a daily inspection. Both of these items had been accomplished when the so arrived at the aircraft 4 hours and 20 mins earlier. We had the mechanic's worksheet from the daily inspection aboard the aircraft with us. The so called open items were accomplished, and the logbook was placed aboard the aircraft 9 mins after we blocked into sdf XE45 local, gofigure?? We refueled, got new WX and flight plan and departed for anc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CARGO DEPARTED SDF WITHOUT ACFT LOGBOOK ON BOARD. INITIAL DECISION TO CONTINUE TO ANC, BUT DISPATCH SENT ACARS MESSAGE TO RETURN TO SDF.

Narrative: I MET WITH MY ENGINEER IN THE PLT BRIEFING ROOM AT ABOUT XA00 LCL AND SPOKE WITH HIM BRIEFLY. HE INTRODUCED ME TO HIS NEWLY HIRED IOE STUDENT ENGINEER ABOUT TO OPERATE HIS FIRST B747 FLT. THE FLT DEP PAPERS NOTED A SPECIAL PROC REQUIRED BEFORE EACH FLT. 'SPD TAPE' NEEDED TO BE APPLIED TO A SMALL AREA ON THE PORT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WHERE THE L INBOARD FLAP, MISSING ITS RUBBER SEAL, COULD RUB ON THE ACFT'S SKIN. THE SO AND IOE SO WENT OUT TO THE ACFT AT ABOUT XA25 LCL (MORE THAN 2 HRS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP TIME). THE SO REVIEWED THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND PERFORMED AN UNUSUALLY LONG AND THOROUGH EXTERIOR INSPECTION WITH HIS IOE STUDENT. MYSELF AND THE FO COMPLETED THE FLT PLANNING AND ARRIVED AT THE ACFT ABOUT XB40 LCL. WE WENT TO OUR FLT STATIONS AND PERFORMED OUR COCKPIT CHKS, ALIGNED LOADED AND CHKED THE INS NAV SYS, CHKED THE ATIS, GOT OUR IFR CLRNC TO ANC AND DISCUSSED THE PARTICULARS OF THE DEP PROC TO BE USED. I DISCUSSED THE CONDITION OF THE ACFT WITH THE SO AND HE SAID WE WERE GOOD TO GO. HE HAD CAREFULLY INSPECTED THE 'TAPE JOB' AND HE WAS SATISFIED WITH IT. HE SAID THE MECHS STILL HAVE TO SIGN OFF THE LOGBOOK. IN THE FINAL ONE HALF HR BEFORE DEP THE COCKPIT WAS LIKE GRAND CENTRAL STATION. CAPT, FO AND SO WERE AT THEIR FLT STATIONS. THE SO INSTRUCTOR WAS IN THE #1 JUMP SEAT (BEHIND THE CAPT) CATERERS CAME ABOARD AND LEFT, ALONG WITH FUELERS, MECHS, WT AND BAL PERSONNEL AND EVEN AN OFF LINE PLT JUMP SEAT RIDER. THE WT AND BAL WAS BROUGHT TO US AT THE LAST POSSIBLE MIN TO STILL DEPART ON TIME. THE SO REVIEWED THE WT AND BAL PAPERWORK AND COMPUTED THE TKOF DATA CARD. I SIGNED THE WT AND BAL FORMS, HANDED A COPY TO THE LOADER AND HE DEPARTED THE ACFT. FINALLY THE DOORS WERE CLOSED, CHKLISTS COMPLETE, AND WE BLOCKED AT XC35 LCL (1 MIN LATE). AFTER 15 MINS OF TAXI TIME WE WERE AIRBORNE AT XC50 LCL. AT XC58 LCL WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE TO CALL FLT CTL. THE DISPATCHER TOLD US THE LOGBOOK IS NOT ABOARD THE ACFT. I HEARD MY SO SAY 'OH NO!' FLT CTL SAID THEY WOULD SENDTHE LOGBOOK TO ANC ON THE NEXT FLT TO ANC. WE CONTINUED OUR CLB. AT XD29 LCL WE RECEIVED A SECOND ACARS MESSAGE. IT SAID MAINT HAD DETERMINED THAT ACFT MUST BE RETURNED TO SDF. A DISPATCH (AMEND RELEASE TO READ) TO RETURN TO SDF WAS ALSO INCLUDED ALONG WITH INFO ABOUT ATC PREPARING A FUEL DUMP PROC FOR US. THE SO DETERMINED THAT BY THE TIME WE RETURNED TO SDF WE WOULD BE LIGHT ENOUGH TO NOT NEED FUEL DUMP. WE WERE IN CRUISE FLT AT FL350 NEAR CHICAGO. WE ACCEPTED DISPATCH, DECLINED THE FUEL DUMP AND RETURNED TO SDF. WE BLOCKED IN AT XE45 LCL WITH A LNDG WT OF 582000 LBS. IN SDF I LEARNED THAT LOGBOOK WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT AFTER THE PREFLT WAS COMPLETED. WHEN THE IOE SO RESPONDED 'LOGBOOK AND FLT PAPERS ON BOARD' DURING THE BEFORE START CHKLIST THERE WERE IN FACT SEVERAL LOGBOOKS ON BOARD, BUT THE (MOST CURRENT) LOGBOOK HAD BEEN REMOVED BY MAINT AND NOT RETURNED BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP TIME. I WAS ASTOUNDED WHEN A 'LINE MECH' CAME TO ME AND SAID HE KNEW THE LOGBOOK WAS NOT ABOARD AND WANTED TO NOTIFY US BEFORE ENG START AND BLOCK OUT, BUT WAS OVER-RULED BY HIS MAINT SUPVR! HE WAS ORDERED TO LET THE ACFT BLOCK AND TOLD THE LOGBOOK WOULD BE SENT TO US ON ANOTHER FLT. THE DISPATCHERS IRREGULARITY RPT SAYS HE WAS FIRST NOTIFIED THAT THE LOGBOOK WAS NOT ABOARD AT XC47 LCL. ASSUMING 5 MINS TO START 4 ENGS, AND ACCOMPLISH THE AFTER START CHKLIST THE MAINT SUPVR WITHHELD THIS INFO FROM DISPATCH FOR 17 MINS. EVEN SO, I DON'T KNOW WHY THE DISPATCHER DIDN'T PICK UP THE PHONE AND TELL THE SDF TWR CAB TO HAVE US RETURN TO THE RAMP. MAINT SAYS THAT THEY RETURNED THE ACFT TO SDF TO ACCOMPLISH 2 OPEN ITEMS ON THE LIST. 1) APPLY THE SPD TAPE, AND 2) PERFORM A DAILY INSPECTION. BOTH OF THESE ITEMS HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WHEN THE SO ARRIVED AT THE ACFT 4 HRS AND 20 MINS EARLIER. WE HAD THE MECH'S WORKSHEET FROM THE DAILY INSPECTION ABOARD THE ACFT WITH US. THE SO CALLED OPEN ITEMS WERE ACCOMPLISHED, AND THE LOGBOOK WAS PLACED ABOARD THE ACFT 9 MINS AFTER WE BLOCKED INTO SDF XE45 LCL, GOFIGURE?? WE REFUELED, GOT NEW WX AND FLT PLAN AND DEPARTED FOR ANC.

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.