Narrative:

Upon receipt of aircraft, previous captain described a mechanic on ground in ZZZ did not see all spoilers deploy on landing. Without any way to confirm this was the case, he did not enter a malfunction into the aircraft logbooks, nor was anything unusual found on preflight inspection. Flight was conducted from ZZZ to XXX without incident. Upon arrival in XXX, maintenance control placed the aircraft on an indefinite hold to inspect the flight control system. Upon further inspection, a broken spoiler cable was found in the right wheel well of the aircraft. In questioning of the XXX mechanic who had found the broken cable, it was found the mechanic who had originally recognized the malfunction in ZZZ was riding in the cabin of said aircraft to XXX when he noticed the spoilers had not properly deployed upon landing. Upon our departure, he notified maintenance in ZZZ of the situation, where it was inspected. Although this situation was corrected without incident, in discussions with the crew, it was felt that had the mechanic presented himself to both capts (releasing and accepting), the entire situation could have been written up and resolved in ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW HAD A BROKEN SPOILER CABLE IN THE WHEEL WELL. A SPOILER MALFUNCTION WAS RPTED PRIOR TO DEP BY A MECH RIDING AS A PAX.

Narrative: UPON RECEIPT OF ACFT, PREVIOUS CAPT DESCRIBED A MECH ON GND IN ZZZ DID NOT SEE ALL SPOILERS DEPLOY ON LNDG. WITHOUT ANY WAY TO CONFIRM THIS WAS THE CASE, HE DID NOT ENTER A MALFUNCTION INTO THE ACFT LOGBOOKS, NOR WAS ANYTHING UNUSUAL FOUND ON PREFLT INSPECTION. FLT WAS CONDUCTED FROM ZZZ TO XXX WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON ARR IN XXX, MAINT CTL PLACED THE ACFT ON AN INDEFINITE HOLD TO INSPECT THE FLT CTL SYS. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, A BROKEN SPOILER CABLE WAS FOUND IN THE R WHEEL WELL OF THE ACFT. IN QUESTIONING OF THE XXX MECH WHO HAD FOUND THE BROKEN CABLE, IT WAS FOUND THE MECH WHO HAD ORIGINALLY RECOGNIZED THE MALFUNCTION IN ZZZ WAS RIDING IN THE CABIN OF SAID ACFT TO XXX WHEN HE NOTICED THE SPOILERS HAD NOT PROPERLY DEPLOYED UPON LNDG. UPON OUR DEP, HE NOTIFIED MAINT IN ZZZ OF THE SIT, WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED. ALTHOUGH THIS SIT WAS CORRECTED WITHOUT INCIDENT, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CREW, IT WAS FELT THAT HAD THE MECH PRESENTED HIMSELF TO BOTH CAPTS (RELEASING AND ACCEPTING), THE ENTIRE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN UP AND RESOLVED IN ZZZ.

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.