Narrative:

I received an ACARS message from the flight crew advising me that they had discovered 3 circuit breakers pulled and tagged on the P6 panel in the cockpit. The aircraft was in cruise. The circuit breakers were alternate slat outboard, alternate slat inboard and alternate flap. I reviewed the amis history and found that the aircraft had been in extended maintenance in for coa (change order accomplishment) work on the fortress cockpit door and wing inboard slat track drain tube. There were no open deferred items or confign deviation list items related to the flaps or slats. I suggested to the crew that they should consider resetting the circuit breakers. This would restore power to the alternate flap and slat drive system. The crew requested more information regarding the circuit breakers and I placed a call to maintenance. The maintenance representative stated that he would not have time to go through all the coa paperwork but stated he knew those circuit breakers were pulled as part of the safety precautions prior to coa work in question. I sent another message to the flight crew informing them that maintenance had confirmed that the circuit breakers were pulled during the coa work. I referred the crew to flight manual for circuit breaker resets. I said that if they elect to reset the circuit breakers ensure that the flap/slat switches and rotary switch are in the normal position. I also stated that it was 'ok with maintenance control to reset.' to summarize, from my experience and the aircraft maintenance history it was clear the circuit breakers had been left out by maintenance. There were no issues surrounding flaps or slats and no open related deferred items or confign deviation list items. In my opinion resetting the breakers was preferred as this would restore power to the alternate flaps and slats ensuring the backup system was available to the crew should they encounter a problem with the primary system. Although the flight manual doesn't specifically cover circuit beakers that are found pulled and tagged by maintenance it does cover cycling of breakers and resetting tripped breakers. The captain and crew elected to leave the breakers out. The breakers were reset at the next station.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 WAS RELEASED FOR SVC FROM HVY MAINT IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH 3 CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED AND TAGGED. FOUND IN CRUISE.

Narrative: I RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE FROM THE FLT CREW ADVISING ME THAT THEY HAD DISCOVERED 3 CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED AND TAGGED ON THE P6 PANEL IN THE COCKPIT. THE ACFT WAS IN CRUISE. THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE ALTERNATE SLAT OUTBOARD, ALTERNATE SLAT INBOARD AND ALTERNATE FLAP. I REVIEWED THE AMIS HISTORY AND FOUND THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN IN EXTENDED MAINT IN FOR COA (CHANGE ORDER ACCOMPLISHMENT) WORK ON THE FORTRESS COCKPIT DOOR AND WING INBOARD SLAT TRACK DRAIN TUBE. THERE WERE NO OPEN DEFERRED ITEMS OR CONFIGN DEV LIST ITEMS RELATED TO THE FLAPS OR SLATS. I SUGGESTED TO THE CREW THAT THEY SHOULD CONSIDER RESETTING THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THIS WOULD RESTORE PWR TO THE ALTERNATE FLAP AND SLAT DRIVE SYS. THE CREW REQUESTED MORE INFO REGARDING THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND I PLACED A CALL TO MAINT. THE MAINT REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH ALL THE COA PAPERWORK BUT STATED HE KNEW THOSE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED AS PART OF THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO COA WORK IN QUESTION. I SENT ANOTHER MESSAGE TO THE FLT CREW INFORMING THEM THAT MAINT HAD CONFIRMED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED DURING THE COA WORK. I REFERRED THE CREW TO FLT MANUAL FOR CIRCUIT BREAKER RESETS. I SAID THAT IF THEY ELECT TO RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS ENSURE THAT THE FLAP/SLAT SWITCHES AND ROTARY SWITCH ARE IN THE NORMAL POS. I ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS 'OK WITH MAINT CTL TO RESET.' TO SUMMARIZE, FROM MY EXPERIENCE AND THE ACFT MAINT HISTORY IT WAS CLR THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS HAD BEEN LEFT OUT BY MAINT. THERE WERE NO ISSUES SURROUNDING FLAPS OR SLATS AND NO OPEN RELATED DEFERRED ITEMS OR CONFIGN DEV LIST ITEMS. IN MY OPINION RESETTING THE BREAKERS WAS PREFERRED AS THIS WOULD RESTORE PWR TO THE ALTERNATE FLAPS AND SLATS ENSURING THE BACKUP SYS WAS AVAILABLE TO THE CREW SHOULD THEY ENCOUNTER A PROB WITH THE PRIMARY SYS. ALTHOUGH THE FLT MANUAL DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY COVER CIRCUIT BEAKERS THAT ARE FOUND PULLED AND TAGGED BY MAINT IT DOES COVER CYCLING OF BREAKERS AND RESETTING TRIPPED BREAKERS. THE CAPT AND CREW ELECTED TO LEAVE THE BREAKERS OUT. THE BREAKERS WERE RESET AT THE NEXT STATION.

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.