Narrative:

When I first arrived at the gate to pick up our aircraft on the evening of may/tue/03, maintenance was just finishing a relay replacement and still had possession of the aircraft maintenance records. While preflting, I noticed the hydraulic system fan circuit breaker was tripped. I was in the process of reporting this to maintenance control via radio when the mechanic returned with the records 'can.' I told maintenance control to disregard my call and reported the tripped circuit breaker to the mechanic. He simply pushed the circuit breaker back in and handed me the 'can.' surprised that he didn't make a write-up on the circuit breaker for traking purposes, I asked him 'if that was it.' he looked at me as though I were a nuisance and left without making a write-up. We flew the aircraft to ZZZ, pwred down, and went to the hotel. When I came out to the same airplane the next morning, the same circuit breaker was found to be tripped again. I called maintenance control to report the problem and their opinion was that this was a first-time nuisance trip-off that could be reset because there was no record of the previous night's problem. So, I explained the previous night's problem and it was decided to defer the offending system. It was a paperwork deferral only with no maintenance items to be accomplished and with no requirement for the circuit breaker to be collared, only a single sentence in the deferral verbiage that the circuit breaker must remain tripped. I asked maintenance control if it would be acceptable for me to collar the circuit breaker and permission was given.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A HYD'S SYS FAN CIRCUIT BREAKER FOUND TRIPPED. MAINT RESET BREAKER WITH NO FAULT ISOLATION OR INSPECTION.

Narrative: WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED AT THE GATE TO PICK UP OUR ACFT ON THE EVENING OF MAY/TUE/03, MAINT WAS JUST FINISHING A RELAY REPLACEMENT AND STILL HAD POSSESSION OF THE ACFT MAINT RECORDS. WHILE PREFLTING, I NOTICED THE HYD SYS FAN CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS TRIPPED. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RPTING THIS TO MAINT CTL VIA RADIO WHEN THE MECH RETURNED WITH THE RECORDS 'CAN.' I TOLD MAINT CTL TO DISREGARD MY CALL AND RPTED THE TRIPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER TO THE MECH. HE SIMPLY PUSHED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER BACK IN AND HANDED ME THE 'CAN.' SURPRISED THAT HE DIDN'T MAKE A WRITE-UP ON THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR TRAKING PURPOSES, I ASKED HIM 'IF THAT WAS IT.' HE LOOKED AT ME AS THOUGH I WERE A NUISANCE AND LEFT WITHOUT MAKING A WRITE-UP. WE FLEW THE ACFT TO ZZZ, PWRED DOWN, AND WENT TO THE HOTEL. WHEN I CAME OUT TO THE SAME AIRPLANE THE NEXT MORNING, THE SAME CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS FOUND TO BE TRIPPED AGAIN. I CALLED MAINT CTL TO RPT THE PROB AND THEIR OPINION WAS THAT THIS WAS A FIRST-TIME NUISANCE TRIP-OFF THAT COULD BE RESET BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE PREVIOUS NIGHT'S PROB. SO, I EXPLAINED THE PREVIOUS NIGHT'S PROB AND IT WAS DECIDED TO DEFER THE OFFENDING SYS. IT WAS A PAPERWORK DEFERRAL ONLY WITH NO MAINT ITEMS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED AND WITH NO REQUIREMENT FOR THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TO BE COLLARED, ONLY A SINGLE SENTENCE IN THE DEFERRAL VERBIAGE THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER MUST REMAIN TRIPPED. I ASKED MAINT CTL IF IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE FOR ME TO COLLAR THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND PERMISSION WAS GIVEN.

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.