Narrative:

While reviewing the logbook, I noticed that there was no entry for the required 4901 card check on the thrust reverser system for dec thu 1996. I went and called maintenance and explained the situation and was put on hold. After a few mins the gentleman came back on line and explained that the maintenance records showed that the 4901 card check was accomplished at dfw on dec tue 1996. The gentleman's name is mr X. I explained that that was fine, but I wanted something in writing, showing that the card was in fact accomplished on dec tue 1996 so I could affix it in the logbook. I asked him why the entry was not recorded in the logbook and he explained that it was called in on the phone. I found this answer strange but I am not an authority/authorized on maintenance procedures. I explained the situation to the agent and asked her for a printer address. I passed this information on to mr X and he forwarded a message to air carrier, the printer, which stated that maintenance records show that the 4901 card was accomplished at dfw for aircraft on dec xx 1996. I taped this message on the logbook page. We flew the leg to dfw without incident and upon arrival, I called maintenance to have someone properly document that the card check was performed. Supervisor of aircraft maintenance came out to the aircraft and made some phone calls to try to determine who the mechanic was that performed the check. After a considerable amount of effort on his part, no mechanic could be found and there was no required paper trail for the 4901 card check on dec xx 1996. While this situation was developing, a mechanic was on board performing the card check for dec xx 1996 and this check was normal. What concerns me most is that I was given bad information. I was told that the check was performed when in fact it was not. The malfunction of one or both thrust reversers could have led to a serious situation. It was explained to me that only air carrier maintenance personnel can perform this check and there is no air carrier maintenance in sdf. If the check was not performed the aircraft would be taken OTS and a maintenance field trip required. There must be more diligence in making sure that this check is performed daily. A safeguard should be put in place to alert maintenance if the check has not been performed at some time during the day, especially if the aircraft is to overnight at a station that does not have maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOKKER 100 ACFT HAD OPEN LOGBOOK ITEM, THRUST REVERSER SYS PROB, MAINT WAS CONTACTED AND MAINT TOLD RPTR CAPT THAT THEIR RECORDS SHOWED THE WORK WAS COMPLETED. CAPT REQUESTED WRITTEN CONFIRMATION WHICH WAS THEN FORWARDED TO HIM. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE REQUIRED REPAIR HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED.

Narrative: WHILE REVIEWING THE LOGBOOK, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO ENTRY FOR THE REQUIRED 4901 CARD CHK ON THE THRUST REVERSER SYS FOR DEC THU 1996. I WENT AND CALLED MAINT AND EXPLAINED THE SIT AND WAS PUT ON HOLD. AFTER A FEW MINS THE GENTLEMAN CAME BACK ON LINE AND EXPLAINED THAT THE MAINT RECORDS SHOWED THAT THE 4901 CARD CHK WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT DFW ON DEC TUE 1996. THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME IS MR X. I EXPLAINED THAT THAT WAS FINE, BUT I WANTED SOMETHING IN WRITING, SHOWING THAT THE CARD WAS IN FACT ACCOMPLISHED ON DEC TUE 1996 SO I COULD AFFIX IT IN THE LOGBOOK. I ASKED HIM WHY THE ENTRY WAS NOT RECORDED IN THE LOGBOOK AND HE EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS CALLED IN ON THE PHONE. I FOUND THIS ANSWER STRANGE BUT I AM NOT AN AUTH ON MAINT PROCS. I EXPLAINED THE SIT TO THE AGENT AND ASKED HER FOR A PRINTER ADDRESS. I PASSED THIS INFO ON TO MR X AND HE FORWARDED A MESSAGE TO ACR, THE PRINTER, WHICH STATED THAT MAINT RECORDS SHOW THAT THE 4901 CARD WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT DFW FOR ACFT ON DEC XX 1996. I TAPED THIS MESSAGE ON THE LOGBOOK PAGE. WE FLEW THE LEG TO DFW WITHOUT INCIDENT AND UPON ARR, I CALLED MAINT TO HAVE SOMEONE PROPERLY DOCUMENT THAT THE CARD CHK WAS PERFORMED. SUPVR OF ACFT MAINT CAME OUT TO THE ACFT AND MADE SOME PHONE CALLS TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHO THE MECH WAS THAT PERFORMED THE CHK. AFTER A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF EFFORT ON HIS PART, NO MECH COULD BE FOUND AND THERE WAS NO REQUIRED PAPER TRAIL FOR THE 4901 CARD CHK ON DEC XX 1996. WHILE THIS SIT WAS DEVELOPING, A MECH WAS ON BOARD PERFORMING THE CARD CHK FOR DEC XX 1996 AND THIS CHK WAS NORMAL. WHAT CONCERNS ME MOST IS THAT I WAS GIVEN BAD INFO. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CHK WAS PERFORMED WHEN IN FACT IT WAS NOT. THE MALFUNCTION OF ONE OR BOTH THRUST REVERSERS COULD HAVE LED TO A SERIOUS SIT. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT ONLY ACR MAINT PERSONNEL CAN PERFORM THIS CHK AND THERE IS NO ACR MAINT IN SDF. IF THE CHK WAS NOT PERFORMED THE ACFT WOULD BE TAKEN OTS AND A MAINT FIELD TRIP REQUIRED. THERE MUST BE MORE DILIGENCE IN MAKING SURE THAT THIS CHK IS PERFORMED DAILY. A SAFEGUARD SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE TO ALERT MAINT IF THE CHK HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED AT SOME TIME DURING THE DAY, ESPECIALLY IF THE ACFT IS TO OVERNIGHT AT A STATION THAT DOES NOT HAVE MAINT.

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.