Narrative:

During the morning preflight, both flight attendants discovered discrepancies in the cabin. These included an oxygen bottle deplenished, emergency flashlight safety straps broken, and pbe safety seals missing. Both the captain and I were shown these items, and it was clear to me that they needed to be either fixed, or if it was possible, deferred for our return flight. The captain took the logbook and left the aircraft to call maintenance. Although there were discrepancies, I thought they were minor and could be fixed easily. Assuming this, I began my preflight duties. This was the first flight of the day, so I was very busy with all the extra preflight checks, as well as helping with some of the captain checks, since he had left the aircraft. The captain returned 5-10 mins later and spoke with the lead flight attendant. He said that he had spoken with maintenance, that the items would be fixed when we returned to the hub, and that 'we were good to go.' he also mentioned deferrals. I listened to this short discussion, but was still busy in the cockpit, so returned my attention to my duties. The captain did not ask me to help in the process of fixing the discrepancy problem, and I did not refer to the MEL/cdl manual or review the logbook when he returned. I did not question the captain, nor did I feel the need to. I was satisfied with his discussion with the flight attendant that 'we were good to go.' it wasn't until we arrived back at our hub and I began to complete the flight log, that I noticed that only one of the discrepancies that had been written up, was accompanied by a corrective action, deferring it for our flight. Had I noticed this prior to departure, I would have questioned the captain. I don't know what was said between the captain and maintenance, and was not involved in that process at all. The flight went without any discussion on the topic. Our normal show time at outstations is 30 mins prior to departure, so often there is not extra time for me to doublechk logbook items, or review the captain's entries. In addition, there is always incredible pressure from station personnel/gate agents, and the company to get out on time. Although I don't let this preclude safety of flight, it often leaves me only the time to complete my own tasks before it is departure time. In this case, I took the captain's word for it, and we departed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT DEPARTED WITH NUMEROUS CABIN SAFETY ITEMS NOT PROPER.

Narrative: DURING THE MORNING PREFLT, BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS DISCOVERED DISCREPANCIES IN THE CABIN. THESE INCLUDED AN OXYGEN BOTTLE DEPLENISHED, EMER FLASHLIGHT SAFETY STRAPS BROKEN, AND PBE SAFETY SEALS MISSING. BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE SHOWN THESE ITEMS, AND IT WAS CLR TO ME THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE EITHER FIXED, OR IF IT WAS POSSIBLE, DEFERRED FOR OUR RETURN FLT. THE CAPT TOOK THE LOGBOOK AND LEFT THE ACFT TO CALL MAINT. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE DISCREPANCIES, I THOUGHT THEY WERE MINOR AND COULD BE FIXED EASILY. ASSUMING THIS, I BEGAN MY PREFLT DUTIES. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY, SO I WAS VERY BUSY WITH ALL THE EXTRA PREFLT CHKS, AS WELL AS HELPING WITH SOME OF THE CAPT CHKS, SINCE HE HAD LEFT THE ACFT. THE CAPT RETURNED 5-10 MINS LATER AND SPOKE WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT. HE SAID THAT HE HAD SPOKEN WITH MAINT, THAT THE ITEMS WOULD BE FIXED WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE HUB, AND THAT 'WE WERE GOOD TO GO.' HE ALSO MENTIONED DEFERRALS. I LISTENED TO THIS SHORT DISCUSSION, BUT WAS STILL BUSY IN THE COCKPIT, SO RETURNED MY ATTN TO MY DUTIES. THE CAPT DID NOT ASK ME TO HELP IN THE PROCESS OF FIXING THE DISCREPANCY PROB, AND I DID NOT REFER TO THE MEL/CDL MANUAL OR REVIEW THE LOGBOOK WHEN HE RETURNED. I DID NOT QUESTION THE CAPT, NOR DID I FEEL THE NEED TO. I WAS SATISFIED WITH HIS DISCUSSION WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT 'WE WERE GOOD TO GO.' IT WASN'T UNTIL WE ARRIVED BACK AT OUR HUB AND I BEGAN TO COMPLETE THE FLT LOG, THAT I NOTICED THAT ONLY ONE OF THE DISCREPANCIES THAT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP, WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A CORRECTIVE ACTION, DEFERRING IT FOR OUR FLT. HAD I NOTICED THIS PRIOR TO DEP, I WOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CAPT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS SAID BTWN THE CAPT AND MAINT, AND WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS AT ALL. THE FLT WENT WITHOUT ANY DISCUSSION ON THE TOPIC. OUR NORMAL SHOW TIME AT OUTSTATIONS IS 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP, SO OFTEN THERE IS NOT EXTRA TIME FOR ME TO DOUBLECHK LOGBOOK ITEMS, OR REVIEW THE CAPT'S ENTRIES. IN ADDITION, THERE IS ALWAYS INCREDIBLE PRESSURE FROM STATION PERSONNEL/GATE AGENTS, AND THE COMPANY TO GET OUT ON TIME. ALTHOUGH I DON'T LET THIS PRECLUDE SAFETY OF FLT, IT OFTEN LEAVES ME ONLY THE TIME TO COMPLETE MY OWN TASKS BEFORE IT IS DEP TIME. IN THIS CASE, I TOOK THE CAPT'S WORD FOR IT, AND WE DEPARTED.

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.