Flight crew of B727 complaint regarding cutback maintenance practices of air carrier.

Attributes
ACN	424770
Time
Date	199901
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 67ky
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	424770
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During the cutbacks, air carrier either out-sourced its ground support equipment maintenance or severely decreased it. In cvg, we were told (and delayed by its occurrence) that only 2 of 5 ground start units were working. This does not mesh well at a company that thinks nothing of flying aircraft around the system with inoperative APU's. Not adequately maintaining or supervising the maintenance of equipment like start units (high speed components, high pressure, and temperature) could cause more damage than just flight delays.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 COMPLAINT REGARDING CUTBACK MAINT PRACTICES OF ACR.

Narrative: DURING THE CUTBACKS, ACR EITHER OUT-SOURCED ITS GND SUPPORT EQUIP MAINT OR SEVERELY DECREASED IT. IN CVG, WE WERE TOLD (AND DELAYED BY ITS OCCURRENCE) THAT ONLY 2 OF 5 GND START UNITS WERE WORKING. THIS DOES NOT MESH WELL AT A COMPANY THAT THINKS NOTHING OF FLYING ACFT AROUND THE SYS WITH INOP APU'S. NOT ADEQUATELY MAINTAINING OR SUPERVISING THE MAINT OF EQUIP LIKE START UNITS (HIGH SPD COMPONENTS, HIGH PRESSURE, AND TEMP) COULD CAUSE MORE DAMAGE THAN JUST FLT DELAYS.

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.