Narrative:

On air carrier flight xyz (mco-ZZZ) mar/xa/99, during descent into the ZZZ area, I informed the captain that my ADI decision ht display was showing all 8's. I then confirmed that all secondary indications were functioning normally: no RA indication. No autoland #2 indication, no EICAS message, decision ht readout repeating (displaying) normally on my (first officer) eadi, decision ht value could be changed (up or down) and the proper value shown normally on my (first officer) eadi. Air carrier ZZZ maintenance was called during descent to meet the aircraft at the gate in ZZZ. At the gate I told the maintenance technician that all system, except the ADI decision ht reference display, functioned normally. The captain asked the technician if he should write up the malfunctioning indicator on an air carrier flight duty/maintenance log page. The technician informed the captain that he thought it was probably a loose or dirty cannon plug and that he would take care of it. The captain then signed the flight duty/maintenance log page and left the aircraft. The maintenance technician then wrote under discrepancy on the flight duty/maintenance log page: 'navigation EFIS control panel, decision ht reference display is inoperative.' however, under corrective action he wrote: 'right-hand radio altimeter system inoperative. Item deferred per MEL.' the FAA feels the flight crew should have written up a 'right-hand radio altimeter system inoperative' problem. This may be true. However, that was not the original problem noted by the flight crew on descent into phx, or at the gate, or shown to the maintenance technician, or even written up by the maintenance technician under the discrepancy column of the appropriate flight duty/maintenance log page.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 INBOUND CREW RPTED #2 RADIO ALTIMETER DECISION HT REF DISPLAY ON THE EFIS CTL PANEL INOP. FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR BELIEVES THE CREW SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN UP THE #2 RADIO ALTIMETER.

Narrative: ON ACR FLT XYZ (MCO-ZZZ) MAR/XA/99, DURING DSCNT INTO THE ZZZ AREA, I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT MY ADI DECISION HT DISPLAY WAS SHOWING ALL 8'S. I THEN CONFIRMED THAT ALL SECONDARY INDICATIONS WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY: NO RA INDICATION. NO AUTOLAND #2 INDICATION, NO EICAS MESSAGE, DECISION HT READOUT REPEATING (DISPLAYING) NORMALLY ON MY (FO) EADI, DECISION HT VALUE COULD BE CHANGED (UP OR DOWN) AND THE PROPER VALUE SHOWN NORMALLY ON MY (FO) EADI. ACR ZZZ MAINT WAS CALLED DURING DSCNT TO MEET THE ACFT AT THE GATE IN ZZZ. AT THE GATE I TOLD THE MAINT TECHNICIAN THAT ALL SYS, EXCEPT THE ADI DECISION HT REF DISPLAY, FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE CAPT ASKED THE TECHNICIAN IF HE SHOULD WRITE UP THE MALFUNCTIONING INDICATOR ON AN ACR FLT DUTY/MAINT LOG PAGE. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CAPT THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS PROBABLY A LOOSE OR DIRTY CANNON PLUG AND THAT HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. THE CAPT THEN SIGNED THE FLT DUTY/MAINT LOG PAGE AND LEFT THE ACFT. THE MAINT TECHNICIAN THEN WROTE UNDER DISCREPANCY ON THE FLT DUTY/MAINT LOG PAGE: 'NAV EFIS CTL PANEL, DECISION HT REF DISPLAY IS INOP.' HOWEVER, UNDER CORRECTIVE ACTION HE WROTE: 'R-HAND RADIO ALTIMETER SYS INOP. ITEM DEFERRED PER MEL.' THE FAA FEELS THE FLC SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN UP A 'R-HAND RADIO ALTIMETER SYS INOP' PROB. THIS MAY BE TRUE. HOWEVER, THAT WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL PROB NOTED BY THE FLC ON DSCNT INTO PHX, OR AT THE GATE, OR SHOWN TO THE MAINT TECHNICIAN, OR EVEN WRITTEN UP BY THE MAINT TECHNICIAN UNDER THE DISCREPANCY COLUMN OF THE APPROPRIATE FLT DUTY/MAINT LOG PAGE.

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.