Narrative:

Crew member called me from pvd (non maintenance station) with '#1 automatic pressure inoperative light on.' this was during a peak period of rapid fire phone calls for the maintenance control center. I checked for any outstanding items and ask the pilot to defer using the fcp (flight crew placard method) per MEL 24-00-01A no restrs other than do not use. He said that he would rather reset the system, that way he would have another automatic system for back up in flight. I said I would check for any recent previous reports and if not any we could consider doing it his way. There was one previous reset, but that was 1 month ago. I agreed that he could reset the system. He said he does not have a logbook entry and wanted to know how to handle the item. I told him we must have a logbook entry. Has this statement, 'when an item is written in the aircraft logbook at a non maintenance station, and clears itself or is cleared up by the crew through actuating the system or cycling a circuit breaker, the maintenance coordinator will send a teletype message to the crew at the affected station stating the conditions, and that the item can remain open in the logbook. The item should then be cleared from the log at the next maintenance station.' I told the pilot the aircraft logbook should have 2 open items. Item #1 irregularity should be: pressurization system automatic 1 inoperative light illuminated. Item #2 irregularity would be the content of my continue to operate formatted message with the name of the maintenance coordinator stating the system has been reset electrically...no faults. Both corrective action sections would remain open until ZZZ. The teletype message I sent must be inserted in the logbook. The flight was from pvd to ZZZ and when it arrived the ZZZ foreman called to say a ZZZ mechanic had a problem with me. I asked for the mechanic to call me. The mechanic said that he was tired of contract maintenance and pilots clearing items on aircraft (don't recall actual words spoken, but that was what I took from his response). I told him that's our maintenance program and it's setup through the FAA. He said the pilot told him he reset the controller in the east&east compartment. The mechanic wrote in the logbook the following: 'crew verbal occ (operational control center) then (my name) had captain perform bite check and reset of controller. Information is noted and recorded.' I did not tell the crew member to perform a bite check. The pilot's part of the logbook was not complete because my name had not been entered in the irregularity section as the message stated, also the statement 'system has been reset electrically...no faults, was not entered. The mechanic thought he should write in the logbook what the crew verbalized to him. I have since learned that a pilot should not reset a system from a component, however he can reset the system from the cockpit if possible under the direction of maintenance control. The mechanic submitted the item to a quality assurance team and I was told to use qualified mechanics to reset a box.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 AT A NON MAINT STATION HAS A FLC RESET AN AUTO PRESSURE CTLR WITH MAINT CTLR GUIDANCE.

Narrative: CREW MEMBER CALLED ME FROM PVD (NON MAINT STATION) WITH '#1 AUTO PRESSURE INOP LIGHT ON.' THIS WAS DURING A PEAK PERIOD OF RAPID FIRE PHONE CALLS FOR THE MAINT CTL CTR. I CHKED FOR ANY OUTSTANDING ITEMS AND ASK THE PLT TO DEFER USING THE FCP (FLC PLACARD METHOD) PER MEL 24-00-01A NO RESTRS OTHER THAN DO NOT USE. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD RATHER RESET THE SYS, THAT WAY HE WOULD HAVE ANOTHER AUTO SYS FOR BACK UP IN FLT. I SAID I WOULD CHK FOR ANY RECENT PREVIOUS RPTS AND IF NOT ANY WE COULD CONSIDER DOING IT HIS WAY. THERE WAS ONE PREVIOUS RESET, BUT THAT WAS 1 MONTH AGO. I AGREED THAT HE COULD RESET THE SYS. HE SAID HE DOES NOT HAVE A LOGBOOK ENTRY AND WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE ITEM. I TOLD HIM WE MUST HAVE A LOGBOOK ENTRY. HAS THIS STATEMENT, 'WHEN AN ITEM IS WRITTEN IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK AT A NON MAINT STATION, AND CLRS ITSELF OR IS CLRED UP BY THE CREW THROUGH ACTUATING THE SYS OR CYCLING A CIRCUIT BREAKER, THE MAINT COORDINATOR WILL SEND A TELETYPE MESSAGE TO THE CREW AT THE AFFECTED STATION STATING THE CONDITIONS, AND THAT THE ITEM CAN REMAIN OPEN IN THE LOGBOOK. THE ITEM SHOULD THEN BE CLRED FROM THE LOG AT THE NEXT MAINT STATION.' I TOLD THE PLT THE ACFT LOGBOOK SHOULD HAVE 2 OPEN ITEMS. ITEM #1 IRREGULARITY SHOULD BE: PRESSURIZATION SYS AUTO 1 INOP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ITEM #2 IRREGULARITY WOULD BE THE CONTENT OF MY CONTINUE TO OPERATE FORMATTED MESSAGE WITH THE NAME OF THE MAINT COORDINATOR STATING THE SYS HAS BEEN RESET ELECTRICALLY...NO FAULTS. BOTH CORRECTIVE ACTION SECTIONS WOULD REMAIN OPEN UNTIL ZZZ. THE TELETYPE MESSAGE I SENT MUST BE INSERTED IN THE LOGBOOK. THE FLT WAS FROM PVD TO ZZZ AND WHEN IT ARRIVED THE ZZZ FOREMAN CALLED TO SAY A ZZZ MECH HAD A PROB WITH ME. I ASKED FOR THE MECH TO CALL ME. THE MECH SAID THAT HE WAS TIRED OF CONTRACT MAINT AND PLTS CLRING ITEMS ON ACFT (DON'T RECALL ACTUAL WORDS SPOKEN, BUT THAT WAS WHAT I TOOK FROM HIS RESPONSE). I TOLD HIM THAT'S OUR MAINT PROGRAM AND IT'S SETUP THROUGH THE FAA. HE SAID THE PLT TOLD HIM HE RESET THE CTLR IN THE E&E COMPARTMENT. THE MECH WROTE IN THE LOGBOOK THE FOLLOWING: 'CREW VERBAL OCC (OPERATIONAL CTL CTR) THEN (MY NAME) HAD CAPT PERFORM BITE CHK AND RESET OF CTLR. INFO IS NOTED AND RECORDED.' I DID NOT TELL THE CREW MEMBER TO PERFORM A BITE CHK. THE PLT'S PART OF THE LOGBOOK WAS NOT COMPLETE BECAUSE MY NAME HAD NOT BEEN ENTERED IN THE IRREGULARITY SECTION AS THE MESSAGE STATED, ALSO THE STATEMENT 'SYS HAS BEEN RESET ELECTRICALLY...NO FAULTS, WAS NOT ENTERED. THE MECH THOUGHT HE SHOULD WRITE IN THE LOGBOOK WHAT THE CREW VERBALIZED TO HIM. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT A PLT SHOULD NOT RESET A SYS FROM A COMPONENT, HOWEVER HE CAN RESET THE SYS FROM THE COCKPIT IF POSSIBLE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MAINT CTL. THE MECH SUBMITTED THE ITEM TO A QUALITY ASSURANCE TEAM AND I WAS TOLD TO USE QUALIFIED MECHS TO RESET A BOX.

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.