Narrative:

Aircraft was dispatched with 1 generator inoperative. The generator constant speed drive had not been disconnected. As the flight engineer, I questioned this and referred to the deferred item book. The book, under maintenance's responsibilities, required that the CSD be disconnected. I brought this discrepancy to the captain's attention and then called our maintenance supervisor. The maintenance supervisor told me that a new deferred item manual had just been released and that it superseded my copy and that it also did not require the CSD to be disconnected. I informed the captain of this. After we had pushed back from the gate and were starting the engines using a special checklist for '1 generator inoperative for dispatch' I reached a note in the checklist that required the CSD disconnected light to be illuminated after engine start. The light was not illuminated because the CSD was not disconnected. I brought this to the captain's attention. We determined that it was a discrepancy between our checklist and maintenance's procedures and that we would continue since maintenance had told us that the CSD did not need to be disconnected. The flight was conducted uneventfully. However, during the flight I informed the captain that I would pursue the matter of our checklist not agreeing with the maintenance procedures. I obtained a copy of the new mco and found that it is the same as the older version. The new version also calls for the CSD to be disconnected. Maintenance, at least on this occasion, is incorrectly interping the mco manual procedures. I am pursuing this matter through union/company channels so as to correct the problem. At least 1 crew prior to us had flown the aircraft in the same condition. In the future, if there is any discrepancy with our checklist, I will get definite resolution before allowing the flight to continue. Supplemental information from acn 452817: we believed the words of a maintenance supervisor without seeing the change in print. We all knew 'this doesn't seem quite right' but believed it was just a 'paperwork' problem. Solution: do it by the book you actually have and can read (or get a facsimile copy).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC TAKES MAINT ORAL WORD THAT NEW SOPS DO NOT REQUIRE THAT INOP GENERATOR CSD BE DISCONNECTED PRIOR TO FLT AT MOB. NOT SO.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH 1 GENERATOR INOP. THE GENERATOR CONSTANT SPD DRIVE HAD NOT BEEN DISCONNECTED. AS THE FE, I QUESTIONED THIS AND REFERRED TO THE DEFERRED ITEM BOOK. THE BOOK, UNDER MAINT'S RESPONSIBILITIES, REQUIRED THAT THE CSD BE DISCONNECTED. I BROUGHT THIS DISCREPANCY TO THE CAPT'S ATTN AND THEN CALLED OUR MAINT SUPVR. THE MAINT SUPVR TOLD ME THAT A NEW DEFERRED ITEM MANUAL HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED AND THAT IT SUPERSEDED MY COPY AND THAT IT ALSO DID NOT REQUIRE THE CSD TO BE DISCONNECTED. I INFORMED THE CAPT OF THIS. AFTER WE HAD PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AND WERE STARTING THE ENGS USING A SPECIAL CHKLIST FOR '1 GENERATOR INOP FOR DISPATCH' I REACHED A NOTE IN THE CHKLIST THAT REQUIRED THE CSD DISCONNECTED LIGHT TO BE ILLUMINATED AFTER ENG START. THE LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED BECAUSE THE CSD WAS NOT DISCONNECTED. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE CAPT'S ATTN. WE DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A DISCREPANCY BTWN OUR CHKLIST AND MAINT'S PROCS AND THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE SINCE MAINT HAD TOLD US THAT THE CSD DID NOT NEED TO BE DISCONNECTED. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED UNEVENTFULLY. HOWEVER, DURING THE FLT I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT I WOULD PURSUE THE MATTER OF OUR CHKLIST NOT AGREEING WITH THE MAINT PROCS. I OBTAINED A COPY OF THE NEW MCO AND FOUND THAT IT IS THE SAME AS THE OLDER VERSION. THE NEW VERSION ALSO CALLS FOR THE CSD TO BE DISCONNECTED. MAINT, AT LEAST ON THIS OCCASION, IS INCORRECTLY INTERPING THE MCO MANUAL PROCS. I AM PURSUING THIS MATTER THROUGH UNION/COMPANY CHANNELS SO AS TO CORRECT THE PROB. AT LEAST 1 CREW PRIOR TO US HAD FLOWN THE ACFT IN THE SAME CONDITION. IN THE FUTURE, IF THERE IS ANY DISCREPANCY WITH OUR CHKLIST, I WILL GET DEFINITE RESOLUTION BEFORE ALLOWING THE FLT TO CONTINUE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 452817: WE BELIEVED THE WORDS OF A MAINT SUPVR WITHOUT SEEING THE CHANGE IN PRINT. WE ALL KNEW 'THIS DOESN'T SEEM QUITE RIGHT' BUT BELIEVED IT WAS JUST A 'PAPERWORK' PROB. SOLUTION: DO IT BY THE BOOK YOU ACTUALLY HAVE AND CAN READ (OR GET A FAX COPY).

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.