A commercial fixed wing aircraft was dispatched in non compliance with the APU pneumatics inoperative with no deferred item entered in the logbook, maintenance release or dispatcher advised.

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Attributes
ACN	498923
Time
Date	200101
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	498923
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	498437
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : logbook other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : person 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight abc, jan/xa/00, ZZZ-XXX. Aircraft xyz was dispatched ZZZ-XXX on the basis that there was no dispatch items open on the aircraft. ZZZ maintenance said that they originally had an APU bleed valve problem during overnight maintenance. They changed a valve and thought they had the problem fixed. When the airplane was at the gate, it was noticed that the APU was still putting out a low flow of air. At XA36Z, ZZZ posted a departure time due to APU servicing. 1 min later, it went to a departure time due to engine start. 10 mins later the airplane was out of the gate. I thought that maintenance fixed the problem since there was no contact to maintenance technician or to dispatch. 30 mins before arrival, the flight crew sent an ACARS stating to have XXX ready for an APU inoperative arrival. I then questioned the crew if the ZZZ had placarded the APU air inoperative. The crew stated yes. No dispatch or technical concurrence was ever received.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING ACFT WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE APU PNEUMATICS INOP WITH NO DEFERRED ITEM ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK, MAINT RELEASE OR DISPATCHER ADVISED.

Narrative: FLT ABC, JAN/XA/00, ZZZ-XXX. ACFT XYZ WAS DISPATCHED ZZZ-XXX ON THE BASIS THAT THERE WAS NO DISPATCH ITEMS OPEN ON THE ACFT. ZZZ MAINT SAID THAT THEY ORIGINALLY HAD AN APU BLEED VALVE PROB DURING OVERNIGHT MAINT. THEY CHANGED A VALVE AND THOUGHT THEY HAD THE PROB FIXED. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS AT THE GATE, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE APU WAS STILL PUTTING OUT A LOW FLOW OF AIR. AT XA36Z, ZZZ POSTED A DEP TIME DUE TO APU SVCING. 1 MIN LATER, IT WENT TO A DEP TIME DUE TO ENG START. 10 MINS LATER THE AIRPLANE WAS OUT OF THE GATE. I THOUGHT THAT MAINT FIXED THE PROB SINCE THERE WAS NO CONTACT TO MAINT TECHNICIAN OR TO DISPATCH. 30 MINS BEFORE ARR, THE FLC SENT AN ACARS STATING TO HAVE XXX READY FOR AN APU INOP ARR. I THEN QUESTIONED THE CREW IF THE ZZZ HAD PLACARDED THE APU AIR INOP. THE CREW STATED YES. NO DISPATCH OR TECHNICAL CONCURRENCE WAS EVER RECEIVED.

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.