Narrative:

Taxiing out of dtw to abe, aircraft right fuel gauge went blank (digital gauge). Dispatch and maintenance control authority/authorized the pulling and resetting of the appropriate circuit breaker to restore fuel gauge operation. The flight crew entered into the logbook -- 'information only -- cycled circuit breaker to restore to normal operation the right fuel gauge. Ok for takeoff per dispatch and maintenance control.' I received the aircraft in abe and noted the information write-up with nothing entered in the corrective action box. In consultation with dispatch and maintenance control, I was assured twice that this was an acceptable situation to depart (abe to dtw) with nothing entered in the corrective action box. Upon arrival in dtw, line maintenance stated that this was not an acceptable situation, there should have been an entry in the corrective action box on the aircraft logbook prior to departure from abe. Later conversation with the maintenance controller maintained that this was an ok procedure because it was only recording the resetting of a circuit breaker to restore operation of the item. This appears to be a 'gray area' in our procedures. Next time I will not only check with dispatch and maintenance control (normal procedure), but also call the chief pilot and if need be DC9 training too.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DC9 QUESTIONS THE PROC OF WRITE UP IN THE ACFT RECORD OF AN INFO ONLY DISCREPANCY ITEM WITHOUT AN ENTRY IN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION BOX, FUEL GAUGE CIRCUIT BREAKER RESET TO RESTORE OP.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT OF DTW TO ABE, ACFT R FUEL GAUGE WENT BLANK (DIGITAL GAUGE). DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL AUTH THE PULLING AND RESETTING OF THE APPROPRIATE CIRCUIT BREAKER TO RESTORE FUEL GAUGE OP. THE FLC ENTERED INTO THE LOGBOOK -- 'INFO ONLY -- CYCLED CIRCUIT BREAKER TO RESTORE TO NORMAL OP THE R FUEL GAUGE. OK FOR TKOF PER DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL.' I RECEIVED THE ACFT IN ABE AND NOTED THE INFO WRITE-UP WITH NOTHING ENTERED IN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION BOX. IN CONSULTATION WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL, I WAS ASSURED TWICE THAT THIS WAS AN ACCEPTABLE SIT TO DEPART (ABE TO DTW) WITH NOTHING ENTERED IN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION BOX. UPON ARR IN DTW, LINE MAINT STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SIT, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ENTRY IN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION BOX ON THE ACFT LOGBOOK PRIOR TO DEP FROM ABE. LATER CONVERSATION WITH THE MAINT CTLR MAINTAINED THAT THIS WAS AN OK PROC BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY RECORDING THE RESETTING OF A CIRCUIT BREAKER TO RESTORE OP OF THE ITEM. THIS APPEARS TO BE A 'GRAY AREA' IN OUR PROCS. NEXT TIME I WILL NOT ONLY CHK WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL (NORMAL PROC), BUT ALSO CALL THE CHIEF PLT AND IF NEED BE DC9 TRAINING TOO.

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.