Narrative:

Brief and review of paperwork at XA00 local. Noted and discussed with captain, write-up for inbound defect of burnt oil smell along with history log write-up dated jul/thu/03: cabin air has hot burnt oil smell and jul/thu/03 log write up: left engine defect N1 vibration. Captain signed release via unimatic. Proceeded to gate for standard preflight procedures. Captain performed walkaround and I inputted FMC data, etc. Logbook was reviewed by the captain and myself noting the mrd (maintenance release document) and matching it with the ACARS release mrd (maintenance release document) ZZZ3 XA00Z. All logbook coupons mrd (maintenance release document). There were no indications that maintenance was being performed. Bags loaded, passenger on board. On-time pushback. Normal start, taxi. For some reason on taxi out, I mentioned the mrd (maintenance release document) and we reconfirmed our paperwork. (Note: I believe that I associated the inbound log write-up with the jul/thu/03 and jul/thu/O3 write-ups and considered them clear. There was no indication from our arrival to flight operations to the hold short of the runway that any maintenance was being performed on the aircraft.) taxied to hold short and received a call from ZZZ1 tower to return to gate for maintenance issues. Note: if it wasn't for a mechanic who noticed our taxi out, we would have taken off. He was the one who contacted the tower, after failing with flight operations, in order to have us return. On return to gate, we discovered that our mrd (maintenance release document) was not current. Factors that led to this error: 1) we did not correctly identify the inbound log item as being open, 2) flight operations failed to inform us that the aircraft was on decision, 3) maintenance left no physical evidence that the aircraft was under maintenance, 4) transition to rampers pushing back took maintenance out of the 'normal' routine of asking if we received the current mrd (maintenance release document). In fact maintenance would have never pushed us back, and 5) total breakdown in communication. Electronically (rls ACARS mrd) and operationally: maintenance-flight operations-ramp-crew.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITHOUT A CURRENT MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT. FLT STOPPED PRIOR TO TKOF.

Narrative: BRIEF AND REVIEW OF PAPERWORK AT XA00 LCL. NOTED AND DISCUSSED WITH CAPT, WRITE-UP FOR INBOUND DEFECT OF BURNT OIL SMELL ALONG WITH HISTORY LOG WRITE-UP DATED JUL/THU/03: CABIN AIR HAS HOT BURNT OIL SMELL AND JUL/THU/03 LOG WRITE UP: L ENG DEFECT N1 VIBRATION. CAPT SIGNED RELEASE VIA UNIMATIC. PROCEEDED TO GATE FOR STANDARD PREFLT PROCS. CAPT PERFORMED WALKAROUND AND I INPUTTED FMC DATA, ETC. LOGBOOK WAS REVIEWED BY THE CAPT AND MYSELF NOTING THE MRD (MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT) AND MATCHING IT WITH THE ACARS RELEASE MRD (MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT) ZZZ3 XA00Z. ALL LOGBOOK COUPONS MRD (MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT). THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT MAINT WAS BEING PERFORMED. BAGS LOADED, PAX ON BOARD. ON-TIME PUSHBACK. NORMAL START, TAXI. FOR SOME REASON ON TAXI OUT, I MENTIONED THE MRD (MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT) AND WE RECONFIRMED OUR PAPERWORK. (NOTE: I BELIEVE THAT I ASSOCIATED THE INBOUND LOG WRITE-UP WITH THE JUL/THU/03 AND JUL/THU/O3 WRITE-UPS AND CONSIDERED THEM CLR. THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM OUR ARR TO FLT OPS TO THE HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY THAT ANY MAINT WAS BEING PERFORMED ON THE ACFT.) TAXIED TO HOLD SHORT AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM ZZZ1 TWR TO RETURN TO GATE FOR MAINT ISSUES. NOTE: IF IT WASN'T FOR A MECH WHO NOTICED OUR TAXI OUT, WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF. HE WAS THE ONE WHO CONTACTED THE TWR, AFTER FAILING WITH FLT OPS, IN ORDER TO HAVE US RETURN. ON RETURN TO GATE, WE DISCOVERED THAT OUR MRD (MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT) WAS NOT CURRENT. FACTORS THAT LED TO THIS ERROR: 1) WE DID NOT CORRECTLY IDENT THE INBOUND LOG ITEM AS BEING OPEN, 2) FLT OPS FAILED TO INFORM US THAT THE ACFT WAS ON DECISION, 3) MAINT LEFT NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT THE ACFT WAS UNDER MAINT, 4) TRANSITION TO RAMPERS PUSHING BACK TOOK MAINT OUT OF THE 'NORMAL' ROUTINE OF ASKING IF WE RECEIVED THE CURRENT MRD (MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT). IN FACT MAINT WOULD HAVE NEVER PUSHED US BACK, AND 5) TOTAL BREAKDOWN IN COM. ELECTRONICALLY (RLS ACARS MRD) AND OPERATIONALLY: MAINT-FLT OPS-RAMP-CREW.

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.