Narrative:

Psp station personnel were unable to secure all electrical power on aircraft on overnight termination on nov/xx/96. Specifically, attempts to secure external power switches in cockpit caused a portion of the emergency light system to illuminate. Though I did not fly aircraft X on nov/xx/96, psp station personnel asked for assistance so after attempting to complete the aircraft electrical shutdown, I referred the station to take up the abnormality with contract maintenance and maintenance technician. I arrived at psp on dec/xx/96, to discover I had been assigned to fly aircraft X. No logbook entry had been made to address the previous evening discrepancy. Psp station personnel had spent the entire night on the aircraft with external power applied to preclude the malfunctioning emergency lights from remaining illuminated. With no documented sign off and the underlying problem remaining, I would not accept the aircraft with this problem. And so we started an 8.5 hour maintenance delay which involved separate flts from lax to deliver a faulty battery pack from supply, 2 mechanics with another battery pack and diagrams, and finally, a 3RD flight with 8-10 light bulbs specific to the emergency lighting system not in stock at psp. 30 of 139 passenger finally left psp and ord 8.5 hours late. The rest had holiday plans ruined. I am very disturbed by maintenance technician in this entire affair. I thought they were supposed to fix aircraft rather than deliberately pass broken aircraft to normally unsuspecting flcs for transport to a more convenient location for a fix. Had I not become aware of this problem on nov/xx/96, nothing in my original preflight would have informed me of the problem. Technician finally admitted that a downline work order had been located as the delay wore on. Technician was well aware of this problem on nov/xx/96, and was all too willing to let this aircraft fly with a system required to be intact by our MEL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MD SUPER 80 HAD A FAILURE OF THE EMER LIGHTING SYS WITH NO WRITE-UPS OR ANY INDICATION BY MAINT TECHNICIAN TO CREW OF ACFT CONDITION.

Narrative: PSP STATION PERSONNEL WERE UNABLE TO SECURE ALL ELECTRICAL PWR ON ACFT ON OVERNIGHT TERMINATION ON NOV/XX/96. SPECIFICALLY, ATTEMPTS TO SECURE EXTERNAL PWR SWITCHES IN COCKPIT CAUSED A PORTION OF THE EMER LIGHT SYS TO ILLUMINATE. THOUGH I DID NOT FLY ACFT X ON NOV/XX/96, PSP STATION PERSONNEL ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE SO AFTER ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE THE ACFT ELECTRICAL SHUTDOWN, I REFERRED THE STATION TO TAKE UP THE ABNORMALITY WITH CONTRACT MAINT AND MAINT TECHNICIAN. I ARRIVED AT PSP ON DEC/XX/96, TO DISCOVER I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO FLY ACFT X. NO LOGBOOK ENTRY HAD BEEN MADE TO ADDRESS THE PREVIOUS EVENING DISCREPANCY. PSP STATION PERSONNEL HAD SPENT THE ENTIRE NIGHT ON THE ACFT WITH EXTERNAL PWR APPLIED TO PRECLUDE THE MALFUNCTIONING EMER LIGHTS FROM REMAINING ILLUMINATED. WITH NO DOCUMENTED SIGN OFF AND THE UNDERLYING PROB REMAINING, I WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE ACFT WITH THIS PROB. AND SO WE STARTED AN 8.5 HR MAINT DELAY WHICH INVOLVED SEPARATE FLTS FROM LAX TO DELIVER A FAULTY BATTERY PACK FROM SUPPLY, 2 MECHS WITH ANOTHER BATTERY PACK AND DIAGRAMS, AND FINALLY, A 3RD FLT WITH 8-10 LIGHT BULBS SPECIFIC TO THE EMER LIGHTING SYS NOT IN STOCK AT PSP. 30 OF 139 PAX FINALLY LEFT PSP AND ORD 8.5 HRS LATE. THE REST HAD HOLIDAY PLANS RUINED. I AM VERY DISTURBED BY MAINT TECHNICIAN IN THIS ENTIRE AFFAIR. I THOUGHT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO FIX ACFT RATHER THAN DELIBERATELY PASS BROKEN ACFT TO NORMALLY UNSUSPECTING FLCS FOR TRANSPORT TO A MORE CONVENIENT LOCATION FOR A FIX. HAD I NOT BECOME AWARE OF THIS PROB ON NOV/XX/96, NOTHING IN MY ORIGINAL PREFLT WOULD HAVE INFORMED ME OF THE PROB. TECHNICIAN FINALLY ADMITTED THAT A DOWNLINE WORK ORDER HAD BEEN LOCATED AS THE DELAY WORE ON. TECHNICIAN WAS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROB ON NOV/XX/96, AND WAS ALL TOO WILLING TO LET THIS ACFT FLY WITH A SYS REQUIRED TO BE INTACT BY OUR MEL.

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.