B727-2322 returns to ramp to correct an aircraft equipment problem overlooked in the logbook.

Attributes
ACN	359464
Time
Date	199701
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	359464
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Taxi out on company ramp to airport's taxiway. Flight engineer called attention to rudder load limiter light 'illuminated' and that there was an 'open' log write-up from inbound crew that said light had illuminated in previous flight with flaps up. Returned to gate and after lengthy process with maintenance, departed again with system on maintenance carry-over and log properly signed off. Why did we initially leave gate with open log? We didn't make proper log check during a very hurried turnaround as inbound flight late, etc. Hurried turnarounds typical! Also, company no longer has maintenance meet aircraft at maintenance stations on turnarounds of aircraft unless inbound crew radios problem. So, of course, question is, did inbound crew call in problem of previous flight or was maintenance too busy and missed our flight. We are very short of personnel, especially at this time of day when many international flts are departing. Seems like another example of dollar savings (they think) over common sense of senseless delays due to understaffed maintenance. Important, as captain, to make sure books have been checked, either by looking myself or pointedly asking the so on checklist call for log that he has looked at pages and verified all write-ups taken care of correctly!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-2322 RETURNS TO RAMP TO CORRECT AN ACFT EQUIP PROB OVERLOOKED IN THE LOGBOOK.

Narrative: TAXI OUT ON COMPANY RAMP TO ARPT'S TXWY. FE CALLED ATTN TO RUDDER LOAD LIMITER LIGHT 'ILLUMINATED' AND THAT THERE WAS AN 'OPEN' LOG WRITE-UP FROM INBOUND CREW THAT SAID LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED IN PREVIOUS FLT WITH FLAPS UP. RETURNED TO GATE AND AFTER LENGTHY PROCESS WITH MAINT, DEPARTED AGAIN WITH SYS ON MAINT CARRY-OVER AND LOG PROPERLY SIGNED OFF. WHY DID WE INITIALLY LEAVE GATE WITH OPEN LOG? WE DIDN'T MAKE PROPER LOG CHK DURING A VERY HURRIED TURNAROUND AS INBOUND FLT LATE, ETC. HURRIED TURNAROUNDS TYPICAL! ALSO, COMPANY NO LONGER HAS MAINT MEET ACFT AT MAINT STATIONS ON TURNAROUNDS OF ACFT UNLESS INBOUND CREW RADIOS PROB. SO, OF COURSE, QUESTION IS, DID INBOUND CREW CALL IN PROB OF PREVIOUS FLT OR WAS MAINT TOO BUSY AND MISSED OUR FLT. WE ARE VERY SHORT OF PERSONNEL, ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME OF DAY WHEN MANY INTL FLTS ARE DEPARTING. SEEMS LIKE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF DOLLAR SAVINGS (THEY THINK) OVER COMMON SENSE OF SENSELESS DELAYS DUE TO UNDERSTAFFED MAINT. IMPORTANT, AS CAPT, TO MAKE SURE BOOKS HAVE BEEN CHKED, EITHER BY LOOKING MYSELF OR POINTEDLY ASKING THE SO ON CHKLIST CALL FOR LOG THAT HE HAS LOOKED AT PAGES AND VERIFIED ALL WRITE-UPS TAKEN CARE OF CORRECTLY!

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.