Narrative:

Aircraft was getting the paperwork closed out at the end of a 1C inspection. I was the supervisor and my maintenance lead and I were both signing off paperwork. I signed off the supplemental log page and my lead signed off the last write up in the logbook to close out the paperwork. We both missed the airworthiness release signoff. I picked up the logbook pages that were removed from the logbook to enter them into the computer and found that the airworthiness release was not signed. I called down to the gate that the aircraft was at but it had already left. I then called maintenance control to contact the crew. The aircraft had already taken off when maintenance control contacted them. The aircraft then did an air turnback and returned to the gate. The airworthiness was then corrected. Supplemental information from acn 573617: during the time when the plane was at the hangar before it had gone to the line, I was in a hurry to get the check done to meet the gate time, and overlooked that block. Supplemental information from acn 573232: after takeoff we were advised by company that the airplane needed an airworthiness release signoff. We returned to ZZZ. As a captain, according to our operations manual, we are not responsible for the airworthiness release signoff. This is solely a maintenance function. No corrective action is needed because the signoff is a maintenance function.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-30 FLC RETURNS TO THEIR DEP ARPT WHEN NOTIFIED BY MAINT CTLR THAT THE LOGBOOK HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE FOR THE DAY AT ZZZ, US.

Narrative: ACFT WAS GETTING THE PAPERWORK CLOSED OUT AT THE END OF A 1C INSPECTION. I WAS THE SUPVR AND MY MAINT LEAD AND I WERE BOTH SIGNING OFF PAPERWORK. I SIGNED OFF THE SUPPLEMENTAL LOG PAGE AND MY LEAD SIGNED OFF THE LAST WRITE UP IN THE LOGBOOK TO CLOSE OUT THE PAPERWORK. WE BOTH MISSED THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE SIGNOFF. I PICKED UP THE LOGBOOK PAGES THAT WERE REMOVED FROM THE LOGBOOK TO ENTER THEM INTO THE COMPUTER AND FOUND THAT THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE WAS NOT SIGNED. I CALLED DOWN TO THE GATE THAT THE ACFT WAS AT BUT IT HAD ALREADY LEFT. I THEN CALLED MAINT CTL TO CONTACT THE CREW. THE ACFT HAD ALREADY TAKEN OFF WHEN MAINT CTL CONTACTED THEM. THE ACFT THEN DID AN AIR TURNBACK AND RETURNED TO THE GATE. THE AIRWORTHINESS WAS THEN CORRECTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 573617: DURING THE TIME WHEN THE PLANE WAS AT THE HANGAR BEFORE IT HAD GONE TO THE LINE, I WAS IN A HURRY TO GET THE CHK DONE TO MEET THE GATE TIME, AND OVERLOOKED THAT BLOCK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 573232: AFTER TKOF WE WERE ADVISED BY COMPANY THAT THE AIRPLANE NEEDED AN AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE SIGNOFF. WE RETURNED TO ZZZ. AS A CAPT, ACCORDING TO OUR OPS MANUAL, WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE SIGNOFF. THIS IS SOLELY A MAINT FUNCTION. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION IS NEEDED BECAUSE THE SIGNOFF IS A MAINT FUNCTION.

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.