Narrative:

Maintenance logbook problem. Maintenance entry: left gear truck position actuator is leaking. Pressurized hydraulic system and inspected gear actuator deferred actuator leak as per maintenance manual, and hydraulic system external leakage limits table maintenance manual reference notified tech service. Entered item on long-term deferred list. L-hand main gear l-hand main gear tilt actuator is within maintenance manual limits to replace unit at a later time if leak becomes out of dispatch limits, no leak noted at this time ok for service. The employee on the jun/mon/03 went back and voided the item on jun/thu/03. On the preflight, the actuator was leaking, but within limits. I called for a manager and a supervisor, they both said that you can go back any number of days and avoid any maintenance log write-up. I cannot find any information in any of the manuals that support this statement. I told the manager that we would file a NASA report on this to cover the copilot and myself. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the air carrier flight safety responded to the captain. They indicated that voiding the maintenance log entry was illegal, and should not have been done, even though 2 maintenance management supervisors said it was ok. The captain flew for non scheduled air carrier many yrs ago. Flying there, he said that no one could be trusted, and mgrs would tell you anything to get the trip out of town. The reporter said his company is a supposedly reputable air carrier, but in these economic times, it resembles his former non scheduled operator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CAPT NOTES WHAT APPEARS TO BE A QUESTIONABLE VOIDING IN THE ACFT MAINT LOGBOOK OF A LEAKING GEAR TRUCK POS ACTUATOR BY A MECH.

Narrative: MAINT LOGBOOK PROB. MAINT ENTRY: L GEAR TRUCK POS ACTUATOR IS LEAKING. PRESSURIZED HYD SYS AND INSPECTED GEAR ACTUATOR DEFERRED ACTUATOR LEAK AS PER MAINT MANUAL, AND HYD SYS EXTERNAL LEAKAGE LIMITS TABLE MAINT MANUAL REF NOTIFIED TECH SVC. ENTERED ITEM ON LONG-TERM DEFERRED LIST. L-HAND MAIN GEAR L-HAND MAIN GEAR TILT ACTUATOR IS WITHIN MAINT MANUAL LIMITS TO REPLACE UNIT AT A LATER TIME IF LEAK BECOMES OUT OF DISPATCH LIMITS, NO LEAK NOTED AT THIS TIME OK FOR SVC. THE EMPLOYEE ON THE JUN/MON/03 WENT BACK AND VOIDED THE ITEM ON JUN/THU/03. ON THE PREFLT, THE ACTUATOR WAS LEAKING, BUT WITHIN LIMITS. I CALLED FOR A MGR AND A SUPVR, THEY BOTH SAID THAT YOU CAN GO BACK ANY NUMBER OF DAYS AND AVOID ANY MAINT LOG WRITE-UP. I CANNOT FIND ANY INFO IN ANY OF THE MANUALS THAT SUPPORT THIS STATEMENT. I TOLD THE MGR THAT WE WOULD FILE A NASA RPT ON THIS TO COVER THE COPLT AND MYSELF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACR FLT SAFETY RESPONDED TO THE CAPT. THEY INDICATED THAT VOIDING THE MAINT LOG ENTRY WAS ILLEGAL, AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE, EVEN THOUGH 2 MAINT MGMNT SUPVRS SAID IT WAS OK. THE CAPT FLEW FOR NON SCHEDULED ACR MANY YRS AGO. FLYING THERE, HE SAID THAT NO ONE COULD BE TRUSTED, AND MGRS WOULD TELL YOU ANYTHING TO GET THE TRIP OUT OF TOWN. THE RPTR SAID HIS COMPANY IS A SUPPOSEDLY REPUTABLE ACR, BUT IN THESE ECONOMIC TIMES, IT RESEMBLES HIS FORMER NON SCHEDULED OPERATOR.

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.