Narrative:

Flight lbb-iah. Instructor/check pilot giving a currency/line check to a captain. Check pilot gets the paperwork and performs a walk around inspection while captain does the interior preflight checks. When I arrived in the cockpit the captain stated that the aircraft had been used for a pilot trainer the night before and 6 lndgs were logged in the logbook, but no maintenance write-ups. I remarked that it was unusual for the GPWS to not be written up as normally a single engine approach is accomplished and requires the GPWS to be in off. I looked at the GPWS capped switch and it appeared to be saftied. Tested GPWS ok. We read the receive aircraft checklist and commenced a normal before start checklist. After engines were started, #1 generator would not come on line. Called operations and redispatched with generator #1 inoperative and APU on line for bus #1. Climbing through FL300 (due to rough ride at lower altitude) APU flamed out. Now single generator operation, landing and taxi in at iah uneventful. Opening the aircraft maintenance log for my write-ups I found that an open write-up saying that the GPWS safety wire needed to be resafetied. Talking to maintenance the #1 CSD had been cycled to disconnect. APU had overspd and maintenance personnel advised that the APU should not be used above FL250. No placards on logbook or in aircraft were found. Section #1 -- limitations of flight manual states FL350 or as placard (assuming some aircraft to go to FL370). However, in lower portion of dispatch release found information note stating APU maximum operating altitude FL250. Poor headwork and planning on my part, assuming standard aircraft operations with no MEL placards showing, missed the information placard on APU. So did dispatch. Poor communications to flight crew. Differences in flight manual/ground training and actual aircraft. Poor headwork on my park assuming that the logbook was clear of write-ups from the captain that I was checking. Thought that she could do the standard low stress requirements alone without backup. Never, never assume anything.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC TECHNIQUE PREFLT PROC AND LOGBOOK REVIEW INADEQUATE DURING AIRMAN FLT CHK ACTIVITY. ACFT EQUIP PROB MISSED.

Narrative: FLT LBB-IAH. INSTRUCTOR/CHK PLT GIVING A CURRENCY/LINE CHK TO A CAPT. CHK PLT GETS THE PAPERWORK AND PERFORMS A WALK AROUND INSPECTION WHILE CAPT DOES THE INTERIOR PREFLT CHKS. WHEN I ARRIVED IN THE COCKPIT THE CAPT STATED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN USED FOR A PLT TRAINER THE NIGHT BEFORE AND 6 LNDGS WERE LOGGED IN THE LOGBOOK, BUT NO MAINT WRITE-UPS. I REMARKED THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR THE GPWS TO NOT BE WRITTEN UP AS NORMALLY A SINGLE ENG APCH IS ACCOMPLISHED AND REQUIRES THE GPWS TO BE IN OFF. I LOOKED AT THE GPWS CAPPED SWITCH AND IT APPEARED TO BE SAFTIED. TESTED GPWS OK. WE READ THE RECEIVE ACFT CHKLIST AND COMMENCED A NORMAL BEFORE START CHKLIST. AFTER ENGS WERE STARTED, #1 GENERATOR WOULD NOT COME ON LINE. CALLED OPS AND REDISPATCHED WITH GENERATOR #1 INOP AND APU ON LINE FOR BUS #1. CLBING THROUGH FL300 (DUE TO ROUGH RIDE AT LOWER ALT) APU FLAMED OUT. NOW SINGLE GENERATOR OP, LNDG AND TAXI IN AT IAH UNEVENTFUL. OPENING THE ACFT MAINT LOG FOR MY WRITE-UPS I FOUND THAT AN OPEN WRITE-UP SAYING THAT THE GPWS SAFETY WIRE NEEDED TO BE RESAFETIED. TALKING TO MAINT THE #1 CSD HAD BEEN CYCLED TO DISCONNECT. APU HAD OVERSPD AND MAINT PERSONNEL ADVISED THAT THE APU SHOULD NOT BE USED ABOVE FL250. NO PLACARDS ON LOGBOOK OR IN ACFT WERE FOUND. SECTION #1 -- LIMITATIONS OF FLT MANUAL STATES FL350 OR AS PLACARD (ASSUMING SOME ACFT TO GO TO FL370). HOWEVER, IN LOWER PORTION OF DISPATCH RELEASE FOUND INFO NOTE STATING APU MAX OPERATING ALT FL250. POOR HEADWORK AND PLANNING ON MY PART, ASSUMING STANDARD ACFT OPS WITH NO MEL PLACARDS SHOWING, MISSED THE INFO PLACARD ON APU. SO DID DISPATCH. POOR COMS TO FLC. DIFFERENCES IN FLT MANUAL/GND TRAINING AND ACTUAL ACFT. POOR HEADWORK ON MY PARK ASSUMING THAT THE LOGBOOK WAS CLR OF WRITE-UPS FROM THE CAPT THAT I WAS CHKING. THOUGHT THAT SHE COULD DO THE STANDARD LOW STRESS REQUIREMENTS ALONE WITHOUT BACKUP. NEVER, NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING.

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.