Narrative:

On jun/sat/02, I was a passenger on air carrier X. As the B737 approached the gate in ZZZ, I noticed it was being followed by a fire truck. There was an announcement of a 30-min gate maintenance delay. As I was until just recently an air carrier Y pilot instructor, also teaching logbooks etc, I realized we may have had an item which effectively grounds the aircraft by the captain until maintenance corrects the problem. Due to the long maintenance delay, I didn't think we would be getting a deferral, but a 'fix' on whatever was wrong with the airplane. The flight went smoothly. However, when I put the passenger headset on (channel 9. ATC), the first thing I overheard was 'air carrier X, you're no longer smoking.' I immediately knew whatever problem the aircraft had to require the fire truck to follow it to the gate at ZZZ, it probably was still ongoing, having had no maintenance action taken at ZZZ before pushback (or if it had, it was minimal). After turning off the ZZZ1 active, I and many passenger sitting on the l-hand side of the aircraft saw and commented on the 2 fire trucks which were waiting for us off the runway. I then noted 2 more fire trucks (not just one this time which was required in ZZZ) which followed us to the gate. When I got home, still quite 'steamed' over this event, I called air carrier X in hopes of being put in touch with their maintenance control center to tell me what was wrong with the airplane and why the maintenance item was apparently allowed to persist and if it did receive some maintenance, why it required more airport emergency vehicle upon arrival in ZZZ1. I also called ZZZ1 airport operations, but they could not provide any answers or even find a recording of the incident! I later e-mailed air carrier X with the above information. But only received a general reply detailing air carrier X/FAA maintenance procedures -- not addressing this particular flight's maintenance problem(south). I did later on receive a response from air carrier X maintenance control, but they also said they had no documentation (yet the aircraft was smoking and had to be met upon arrs on 2 legs by fire trucks!). As no one seems to know what is going on at air carrier X concerning maintenance procedures/reporting, I thought I would report them to you myself. I feel it was a poor maintenance/captain decision to go after having apparently receiving no or minimum repair out of ZZZ, in view of the need of fire vehicles upon arrival. I would personally like to know if this aircraft continued in service after ZZZ1 and if the aircraft had problems before its initial leg that day, having a feeling air carrier X may be, to save money, allowing deferrals to accrue until major maintenance problems occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IRATE B737 PAX REQUESTS MAINT INFO REGARDING TRIP DELAY AT ZZZ1 AND TRIP ARR AT ZZZ2. IN BOTH INCIDENTS, FIRE TRUCKS MET AND FOLLOWED AIRPLANE TO GATE.

Narrative: ON JUN/SAT/02, I WAS A PAX ON ACR X. AS THE B737 APCHED THE GATE IN ZZZ, I NOTICED IT WAS BEING FOLLOWED BY A FIRE TRUCK. THERE WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A 30-MIN GATE MAINT DELAY. AS I WAS UNTIL JUST RECENTLY AN ACR Y PLT INSTRUCTOR, ALSO TEACHING LOGBOOKS ETC, I REALIZED WE MAY HAVE HAD AN ITEM WHICH EFFECTIVELY GNDS THE ACFT BY THE CAPT UNTIL MAINT CORRECTS THE PROB. DUE TO THE LONG MAINT DELAY, I DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD BE GETTING A DEFERRAL, BUT A 'FIX' ON WHATEVER WAS WRONG WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE FLT WENT SMOOTHLY. HOWEVER, WHEN I PUT THE PAX HEADSET ON (CHANNEL 9. ATC), THE FIRST THING I OVERHEARD WAS 'ACR X, YOU'RE NO LONGER SMOKING.' I IMMEDIATELY KNEW WHATEVER PROB THE ACFT HAD TO REQUIRE THE FIRE TRUCK TO FOLLOW IT TO THE GATE AT ZZZ, IT PROBABLY WAS STILL ONGOING, HAVING HAD NO MAINT ACTION TAKEN AT ZZZ BEFORE PUSHBACK (OR IF IT HAD, IT WAS MINIMAL). AFTER TURNING OFF THE ZZZ1 ACTIVE, I AND MANY PAX SITTING ON THE L-HAND SIDE OF THE ACFT SAW AND COMMENTED ON THE 2 FIRE TRUCKS WHICH WERE WAITING FOR US OFF THE RWY. I THEN NOTED 2 MORE FIRE TRUCKS (NOT JUST ONE THIS TIME WHICH WAS REQUIRED IN ZZZ) WHICH FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE. WHEN I GOT HOME, STILL QUITE 'STEAMED' OVER THIS EVENT, I CALLED ACR X IN HOPES OF BEING PUT IN TOUCH WITH THEIR MAINT CTL CTR TO TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE AIRPLANE AND WHY THE MAINT ITEM WAS APPARENTLY ALLOWED TO PERSIST AND IF IT DID RECEIVE SOME MAINT, WHY IT REQUIRED MORE ARPT EMER VEHICLE UPON ARR IN ZZZ1. I ALSO CALLED ZZZ1 ARPT OPS, BUT THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ANSWERS OR EVEN FIND A RECORDING OF THE INCIDENT! I LATER E-MAILED ACR X WITH THE ABOVE INFO. BUT ONLY RECEIVED A GENERAL REPLY DETAILING ACR X/FAA MAINT PROCS -- NOT ADDRESSING THIS PARTICULAR FLT'S MAINT PROB(S). I DID LATER ON RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM ACR X MAINT CTL, BUT THEY ALSO SAID THEY HAD NO DOCUMENTATION (YET THE ACFT WAS SMOKING AND HAD TO BE MET UPON ARRS ON 2 LEGS BY FIRE TRUCKS!). AS NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AT ACR X CONCERNING MAINT PROCS/RPTING, I THOUGHT I WOULD RPT THEM TO YOU MYSELF. I FEEL IT WAS A POOR MAINT/CAPT DECISION TO GO AFTER HAVING APPARENTLY RECEIVING NO OR MINIMUM REPAIR OUT OF ZZZ, IN VIEW OF THE NEED OF FIRE VEHICLES UPON ARR. I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS ACFT CONTINUED IN SVC AFTER ZZZ1 AND IF THE ACFT HAD PROBS BEFORE ITS INITIAL LEG THAT DAY, HAVING A FEELING ACR X MAY BE, TO SAVE MONEY, ALLOWING DEFERRALS TO ACCRUE UNTIL MAJOR MAINT PROBS OCCUR.

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.