An large transport commercial fixed wing aircraft on initial climb discovered the standby altimeter ...

Attributes
ACN	419926
Time
Date	199811
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pdx
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pdx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	419926
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft had been written up by inbound crew. This was a crew change. The standby altimeter and airspeed indicator was reported on a maintenance logbook write-up. Maintenance rptedly fixed the problem. It was not an MEL item. It had to be fixed. Upon departure in VMC conditions, the captain and myself noticed the standby altimeter and airspeed indicator were not functioning. We radioed maintenance by radio within 15 mi of the departure airport. Was told to continue and would have a maintenance person take a look at arrival airport. It was late afternoon (dusk) and I thought we should return to departure airport to have it looked at again. The WX en route was overcast and arrival airport was forecast to be VFR. This is an item for emergency use. My problem was we were at (departed) a maintenance facility, therefore, we would have been better off returning to the departure airport rather than press on into night IFR on top. Turns out, the system was not properly hooked up, as we discovered at the other end. 4 1/2 hour delay. In an emergency landing through IMC would have been nearly impossible. Landing at the 'nearest suitable airport' was on my mind. And that was behind us at the departure airport. Knowing it was not an item that, in normal operations, would allow departure without being operable, I felt we should have returned and gotten it fixed. My concern is what would an FAA inspector have said/done if they were in the jump seat observing our operations? I think I would have clearly returned to have it fixed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LGT COMMERCIAL FIXED WING ACFT ON INITIAL CLB DISCOVERED THE STANDBY ALTIMETER AND AIRSPD INDICATOR INOP AFTER HAVING BEEN REPAIRED PRIOR TO DEP.

Narrative: ACFT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP BY INBOUND CREW. THIS WAS A CREW CHANGE. THE STANDBY ALTIMETER AND AIRSPD INDICATOR WAS RPTED ON A MAINT LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. MAINT RPTEDLY FIXED THE PROB. IT WAS NOT AN MEL ITEM. IT HAD TO BE FIXED. UPON DEP IN VMC CONDITIONS, THE CAPT AND MYSELF NOTICED THE STANDBY ALTIMETER AND AIRSPD INDICATOR WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. WE RADIOED MAINT BY RADIO WITHIN 15 MI OF THE DEP ARPT. WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE AND WOULD HAVE A MAINT PERSON TAKE A LOOK AT ARR ARPT. IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON (DUSK) AND I THOUGHT WE SHOULD RETURN TO DEP ARPT TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AGAIN. THE WX ENRTE WAS OVCST AND ARR ARPT WAS FORECAST TO BE VFR. THIS IS AN ITEM FOR EMER USE. MY PROB WAS WE WERE AT (DEPARTED) A MAINT FACILITY, THEREFORE, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF RETURNING TO THE DEP ARPT RATHER THAN PRESS ON INTO NIGHT IFR ON TOP. TURNS OUT, THE SYS WAS NOT PROPERLY HOOKED UP, AS WE DISCOVERED AT THE OTHER END. 4 1/2 HR DELAY. IN AN EMER LNDG THROUGH IMC WOULD HAVE BEEN NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. LNDG AT THE 'NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT' WAS ON MY MIND. AND THAT WAS BEHIND US AT THE DEP ARPT. KNOWING IT WAS NOT AN ITEM THAT, IN NORMAL OPS, WOULD ALLOW DEP WITHOUT BEING OPERABLE, I FELT WE SHOULD HAVE RETURNED AND GOTTEN IT FIXED. MY CONCERN IS WHAT WOULD AN FAA INSPECTOR HAVE SAID/DONE IF THEY WERE IN THE JUMP SEAT OBSERVING OUR OPS? I THINK I WOULD HAVE CLRLY RETURNED TO HAVE IT FIXED.

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.

An large transport commercial fixed wing aircraft on initial climb discovered the standby altimeter and airspeed indicator inoperative after having been repaired prior to departure.