Narrative:

Aircraft xyz was released by maintenance out of a heavy 4 check to be flown on a reliability check flight. Initially during the ground checks we found that the left hydraulic system could not be shut down with the hydraulic switch, continued to maintain about 1000 psi. Following the in-flight checks, I had the following recommended reply items, 1) left pack would not maintain cabin altitude during single pack check at any altitude above 15000 ft, 2) autoplt #2 landed 1/3 DOT or more left of centerline during autoland approach, and 3) #2 navigation receiver intermittently had up to a 20 degree split while tracking the same VOR frequency as #1 navigation receiver. We flew the aircraft the next day on jan/xa/99, for the above items, again #2 autoland was unsuccessful, autoplt experienced an uncommanded disconnect 3 seconds into the rollout phase of the landing, and #2 navigation receiver again was unreliable. Again I recommended a refly for these 2 items to maintenance operations center. The next day, jan/xb/99, xyz was released into revenue service without verifying by a flight check that these items were indeed operating normally. If this had been a heavy 3 check flight control flight, I would never have released the aircraft into revenue service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80S WAS RELEASED FOR SVC IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AUTOPLT AND VOR ILS FLT TEST CREW RPTS UNCORRECTED AFTER 2 TEST FLTS.

Narrative: ACFT XYZ WAS RELEASED BY MAINT OUT OF A HVY 4 CHK TO BE FLOWN ON A RELIABILITY CHK FLT. INITIALLY DURING THE GND CHKS WE FOUND THAT THE L HYD SYS COULD NOT BE SHUT DOWN WITH THE HYD SWITCH, CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN ABOUT 1000 PSI. FOLLOWING THE INFLT CHKS, I HAD THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED REPLY ITEMS, 1) L PACK WOULD NOT MAINTAIN CABIN ALT DURING SINGLE PACK CHK AT ANY ALT ABOVE 15000 FT, 2) AUTOPLT #2 LANDED 1/3 DOT OR MORE L OF CTRLINE DURING AUTOLAND APCH, AND 3) #2 NAV RECEIVER INTERMITTENTLY HAD UP TO A 20 DEG SPLIT WHILE TRACKING THE SAME VOR FREQ AS #1 NAV RECEIVER. WE FLEW THE ACFT THE NEXT DAY ON JAN/XA/99, FOR THE ABOVE ITEMS, AGAIN #2 AUTOLAND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AUTOPLT EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED DISCONNECT 3 SECONDS INTO THE ROLLOUT PHASE OF THE LNDG, AND #2 NAV RECEIVER AGAIN WAS UNRELIABLE. AGAIN I RECOMMENDED A REFLY FOR THESE 2 ITEMS TO MAINT OPS CTR. THE NEXT DAY, JAN/XB/99, XYZ WAS RELEASED INTO REVENUE SVC WITHOUT VERIFYING BY A FLT CHK THAT THESE ITEMS WERE INDEED OPERATING NORMALLY. IF THIS HAD BEEN A HVY 3 CHK FLT CTL FLT, I WOULD NEVER HAVE RELEASED THE ACFT INTO REVENUE SVC.

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.