Narrative:

During the preflight of a B737-700, the crew noted the presence of ice underneath the wings in the vicinity of the fuel tanks (cold soaked wing) and requested that a wing inspection be accomplished by maintenance. Maintenance accomplished the wing inspection and determined that the aircraft needed to be deiced. The outside air temperature was +9 degrees C and it rained lightly at the time. The aircraft was deiced at the gate with type 1 fluid (fp -29C). The deicing process was completed and a satisfactory 'post deice check' was reported to the crew by the deice coordinator. We, the crew, then contacted maintenance control to have the aircraft placed on MEL 27-99 following elevator tab deicing of a B737-700 (fhb 02-3). Under the direction of maintenance control, the crew entered the following in the aircraft maintenance log. Discrepancy remarks: 'aircraft deiced at station ZZZ.' corrective action: 'release per MEL 27-99 elevator tab deiced, limit 270 KIAS per....' maintenance control then raised the question of whether the elevator had been deiced (non-environmental icing). The crew was informed by the deice coordinator that the tail/elevator had not been deiced, which the crew relayed to maintenance control. Maintenance control asked the crew whether it wanted to continue with MEL 27-99. Since MEL 27-99 would have restr the aircraft to 270 KIAS, the crew's response was negative. Maintenance control instructed the crew to draw a line through the entire logbook page and write 'void' which the crew accomplished. On nov/sat/02, the same crew was to operate the same aircraft. Upon reviewing the aircraft maintenance log, the crew noticed that the log page contained the following: discrepancy remark -- 'log page X was voided incorrectly.' corrective action: 'verified maintenance was not accomplished, log page X is void by the authority/authorized of maintenance control, the airworthiness is reinstated.' we, the crew, are concerned that we may have operated an aircraft that wasn't technically airworthy based on this subsequent maintenance log entry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 HAD WINGS DEICED DUE TO UNDERWING ICE. CREW QUESTIONS WHY AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE SPD RESTRS OF 270 KTS APPLIED. GND TEMP 48 DEGS.

Narrative: DURING THE PREFLT OF A B737-700, THE CREW NOTED THE PRESENCE OF ICE UNDERNEATH THE WINGS IN THE VICINITY OF THE FUEL TANKS (COLD SOAKED WING) AND REQUESTED THAT A WING INSPECTION BE ACCOMPLISHED BY MAINT. MAINT ACCOMPLISHED THE WING INSPECTION AND DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT NEEDED TO BE DEICED. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS +9 DEGS C AND IT RAINED LIGHTLY AT THE TIME. THE ACFT WAS DEICED AT THE GATE WITH TYPE 1 FLUID (FP -29C). THE DEICING PROCESS WAS COMPLETED AND A SATISFACTORY 'POST DEICE CHK' WAS RPTED TO THE CREW BY THE DEICE COORDINATOR. WE, THE CREW, THEN CONTACTED MAINT CTL TO HAVE THE ACFT PLACED ON MEL 27-99 FOLLOWING ELEVATOR TAB DEICING OF A B737-700 (FHB 02-3). UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MAINT CTL, THE CREW ENTERED THE FOLLOWING IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG. DISCREPANCY REMARKS: 'ACFT DEICED AT STATION ZZZ.' CORRECTIVE ACTION: 'RELEASE PER MEL 27-99 ELEVATOR TAB DEICED, LIMIT 270 KIAS PER....' MAINT CTL THEN RAISED THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE ELEVATOR HAD BEEN DEICED (NON-ENVIRONMENTAL ICING). THE CREW WAS INFORMED BY THE DEICE COORDINATOR THAT THE TAIL/ELEVATOR HAD NOT BEEN DEICED, WHICH THE CREW RELAYED TO MAINT CTL. MAINT CTL ASKED THE CREW WHETHER IT WANTED TO CONTINUE WITH MEL 27-99. SINCE MEL 27-99 WOULD HAVE RESTR THE ACFT TO 270 KIAS, THE CREW'S RESPONSE WAS NEGATIVE. MAINT CTL INSTRUCTED THE CREW TO DRAW A LINE THROUGH THE ENTIRE LOGBOOK PAGE AND WRITE 'VOID' WHICH THE CREW ACCOMPLISHED. ON NOV/SAT/02, THE SAME CREW WAS TO OPERATE THE SAME ACFT. UPON REVIEWING THE ACFT MAINT LOG, THE CREW NOTICED THAT THE LOG PAGE CONTAINED THE FOLLOWING: DISCREPANCY REMARK -- 'LOG PAGE X WAS VOIDED INCORRECTLY.' CORRECTIVE ACTION: 'VERIFIED MAINT WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED, LOG PAGE X IS VOID BY THE AUTH OF MAINT CTL, THE AIRWORTHINESS IS REINSTATED.' WE, THE CREW, ARE CONCERNED THAT WE MAY HAVE OPERATED AN ACFT THAT WASN'T TECHNICALLY AIRWORTHY BASED ON THIS SUBSEQUENT MAINT LOG ENTRY.

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.