Narrative:

Departure delay due to improper maintenance placarding. During review of aircraft logbook prior to flight, and confirming with the MEL, I found a previous write-up was incorrectly signed off and required placards were absent. These were 3 placards with specific wording regarding procedures to be followed with an inoperative fuel quantity indication. I notified contract maintenance that the correct placarding would have to be accomplished before I would accept the aircraft for flight. ZZZ maintenance personnel did not seem to understand what was required -- even with the MEL available for reference. We then called air carrier mechanics. I discussed the item with them and they agreed with my consensus. The correct placards were not available in our aircraft or at the station, so maintenance proceeded to write the specific language on the wrong placards. I then asked maintenance if he had air carrier maintenance approval to use these placards. The mechanic said 'yes.' I called air carrier maintenance once again and found out he did not have approval to use them. They were the wrong placards -- he said he did not have any correct ones. I went to another outbound aircraft, found the correct placards and brought them to the mechanic. At that point he copied the wording onto the placards. We placed them correctly on the panels, and proceeded to destination incurring a 38 min maintenance delay. I feel had I not been diligent in this matter, I would have been in violation of FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CAPT DETERMINED AN MEL'ED INOP FUEL QUANTITY SYS WAS NOT CORRECTLY PLACARDED BY ACR CONTRACT MAINT.

Narrative: DEP DELAY DUE TO IMPROPER MAINT PLACARDING. DURING REVIEW OF ACFT LOGBOOK PRIOR TO FLT, AND CONFIRMING WITH THE MEL, I FOUND A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP WAS INCORRECTLY SIGNED OFF AND REQUIRED PLACARDS WERE ABSENT. THESE WERE 3 PLACARDS WITH SPECIFIC WORDING REGARDING PROCS TO BE FOLLOWED WITH AN INOP FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION. I NOTIFIED CONTRACT MAINT THAT THE CORRECT PLACARDING WOULD HAVE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE I WOULD ACCEPT THE ACFT FOR FLT. ZZZ MAINT PERSONNEL DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS REQUIRED -- EVEN WITH THE MEL AVAILABLE FOR REF. WE THEN CALLED ACR MECHS. I DISCUSSED THE ITEM WITH THEM AND THEY AGREED WITH MY CONSENSUS. THE CORRECT PLACARDS WERE NOT AVAILABLE IN OUR ACFT OR AT THE STATION, SO MAINT PROCEEDED TO WRITE THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ON THE WRONG PLACARDS. I THEN ASKED MAINT IF HE HAD ACR MAINT APPROVAL TO USE THESE PLACARDS. THE MECH SAID 'YES.' I CALLED ACR MAINT ONCE AGAIN AND FOUND OUT HE DID NOT HAVE APPROVAL TO USE THEM. THEY WERE THE WRONG PLACARDS -- HE SAID HE DID NOT HAVE ANY CORRECT ONES. I WENT TO ANOTHER OUTBOUND ACFT, FOUND THE CORRECT PLACARDS AND BROUGHT THEM TO THE MECH. AT THAT POINT HE COPIED THE WORDING ONTO THE PLACARDS. WE PLACED THEM CORRECTLY ON THE PANELS, AND PROCEEDED TO DEST INCURRING A 38 MIN MAINT DELAY. I FEEL HAD I NOT BEEN DILIGENT IN THIS MATTER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN VIOLATION OF FARS.

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.