B747-200 captain was told by the air carrier chief pilot that he would be fired if he refused to fly...

Attributes
ACN	582575
Time
Date	200305
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9100 flight time type : 4400
ASRS Report	582575
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : flap indicators other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : non availability of parts contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Aircraft (B747-200) freighter flown had several repeat maintenance write-ups reflecting that on final approach when landing flaps (30 degrees) were selected, the inboard flaps went to 30 degrees but the outboard flaps remained at 25 degrees. Maintenance at hong kong replaced an outboard flap flow controller and felt that the problem possibly was fixed. The load controller remained deferred in the logbook awaiting crew comments if flaps operated normally at next landing in inchon korea. The problem occurred once again on landing in korea and was once again entered in the maintenance logbook. I contacted company operations to tell them that I did not want to continue flying the aircraft on another leg to anc being unable to get 30 degrees of flaps on the outboards and having to use only 25 degrees of flaps on all flaps. I was connected to system chief pilot, and explained the problem with the aircraft to him and my desires to have the aircraft fixed before operating another flight. He informed me that he and maintenance decided to operate the aircraft in the deferred condition and to continue the flight. I told him I did not believe that was the correct thing to do. He then told me 'move the aircraft, captain. It will be fixed in jfk after operating to anc and ord.' I felt my job would be in jeopardy if I refused to fly the aircraft. I continued to anc and conducted the approach and landing with 25 degrees of flaps. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said the air carrier orders flight crew's to operate broken aircraft all the time. Typically something that can be deferred is, even though it has nothing to do with the problem. The pilot flew the aircraft to panc, where the outbound captain refused the aircraft. He was then ordered to fly the aircraft. After he arrived in ord he called the union safety representative. The union safety representative then called the air carrier management safety representative, and he grounded the aircraft. Maintenance then did a simple repair and signed off the deferred item, that had nothing to do with the real problem. The aircraft still is not fixed, and flight crew's are being ordered to fly the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-200 CAPT WAS TOLD BY THE ACR CHIEF PLT THAT HE WOULD BE FIRED IF HE REFUSED TO FLY THE ACFT. THE OUTBOARD TRAILING EDGE FLAPS WOULD NOT EXTEND TO 30 DEGS.

Narrative: ACFT (B747-200) FREIGHTER FLOWN HAD SEVERAL REPEAT MAINT WRITE-UPS REFLECTING THAT ON FINAL APCH WHEN LNDG FLAPS (30 DEGS) WERE SELECTED, THE INBOARD FLAPS WENT TO 30 DEGS BUT THE OUTBOARD FLAPS REMAINED AT 25 DEGS. MAINT AT HONG KONG REPLACED AN OUTBOARD FLAP FLOW CTLR AND FELT THAT THE PROB POSSIBLY WAS FIXED. THE LOAD CTLR REMAINED DEFERRED IN THE LOGBOOK AWAITING CREW COMMENTS IF FLAPS OPERATED NORMALLY AT NEXT LNDG IN INCHON KOREA. THE PROB OCCURRED ONCE AGAIN ON LNDG IN KOREA AND WAS ONCE AGAIN ENTERED IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK. I CONTACTED COMPANY OPS TO TELL THEM THAT I DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE FLYING THE ACFT ON ANOTHER LEG TO ANC BEING UNABLE TO GET 30 DEGS OF FLAPS ON THE OUTBOARDS AND HAVING TO USE ONLY 25 DEGS OF FLAPS ON ALL FLAPS. I WAS CONNECTED TO SYS CHIEF PLT, AND EXPLAINED THE PROB WITH THE ACFT TO HIM AND MY DESIRES TO HAVE THE ACFT FIXED BEFORE OPERATING ANOTHER FLT. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE AND MAINT DECIDED TO OPERATE THE ACFT IN THE DEFERRED CONDITION AND TO CONTINUE THE FLT. I TOLD HIM I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT WAS THE CORRECT THING TO DO. HE THEN TOLD ME 'MOVE THE ACFT, CAPT. IT WILL BE FIXED IN JFK AFTER OPERATING TO ANC AND ORD.' I FELT MY JOB WOULD BE IN JEOPARDY IF I REFUSED TO FLY THE ACFT. I CONTINUED TO ANC AND CONDUCTED THE APCH AND LNDG WITH 25 DEGS OF FLAPS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THE ACR ORDERS FLT CREW'S TO OPERATE BROKEN ACFT ALL THE TIME. TYPICALLY SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DEFERRED IS, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROB. THE PLT FLEW THE ACFT TO PANC, WHERE THE OUTBOUND CAPT REFUSED THE ACFT. HE WAS THEN ORDERED TO FLY THE ACFT. AFTER HE ARRIVED IN ORD HE CALLED THE UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE. THE UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE THEN CALLED THE ACR MGMNT SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE, AND HE GNDED THE ACFT. MAINT THEN DID A SIMPLE REPAIR AND SIGNED OFF THE DEFERRED ITEM, THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE REAL PROB. THE ACFT STILL IS NOT FIXED, AND FLT CREW'S ARE BEING ORDERED TO FLY THE ACFT.

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.

B747-200 captain was told by the air carrier chief pilot that he would be fired if he refused to fly the aircraft. The outboard trailing edge flaps would not extend to 30 degrees.