Narrative:

I flew aircraft without '6' pink pages of aircraft history. Actually, the aircraft did have the 'required' 6 pages required by the operations manual, however, the means to accomplish this requirement was somewhat shaky, in my opinion. The flight was an originator. The previous evening, the aircraft received an airworthiness inspection (sc) and was 'certified' to go. However, the only 'pink' page in the logbook was the page for the last series of flts -- which included a bird strike write-up and signoff as well as the airworthiness release. I called maintenance and they did not have the previous '5' pages so they provided me with a computer printout of the history of the aircraft for the previous 7 days. The mechanics were very helpful and I was comfortable that the aircraft was both legal and safe to fly. I was still uncomfortable about the fact that I did not have the requisite 'pink' pages required by the operations manual. I then called maintenance control (via dispatch) and spoke to them about my concern -- I desired a 'form' signed by a maintenance controller attesting to the 'missing' pages and stating that the history was, in fact, clear. With a note in lieu of the missing pages and a valid airworthiness release, I felt that 1) any FAA inspector would be satisfied and 2) I could pass the aircraft on to the next pilot in good faith. Maintenance told me that no such form existed, and their remedy was to make the mechanics pull the next 5 white pages specifying 'no fly maintenance,' which would leave me with 6 'pink pages.' this was actually done (logbook page numbers). Next, I spoke to a chief pilot (name) prior to departing, and he discussed this episode with me. We agreed that the 6 'pink' page requirement was to provide the pilot with an aircraft history and trend -- so with the verbal brief I received from maintenance, the 7 day computer printout, and with a valid airworthiness release, I had met the spirit and legal requirements of the regulations and operations manual. I was good to go, and I went! It seems to me that the decision to simply pull 5 white pages in order to meet the operations manual requirement of '6' pink pages doesn't meet the spirit of the requirement and tends towards pencil whipping! Maintenance should have a form that can be provided to the pilot in lieu of missing pages or our operations manual should be revised to allow for a 'procedure' for pilots to follow when 'pink' pages are missing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CAPT RPTS LOGBOOK BOARDED BY MAINT NOT IN PROPER ORDER. MISSING REQUIRED 6 PINK PAGES OF PREVIOUS MAINT HISTORY.

Narrative: I FLEW ACFT WITHOUT '6' PINK PAGES OF ACFT HISTORY. ACTUALLY, THE ACFT DID HAVE THE 'REQUIRED' 6 PAGES REQUIRED BY THE OPS MANUAL, HOWEVER, THE MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS REQUIREMENT WAS SOMEWHAT SHAKY, IN MY OPINION. THE FLT WAS AN ORIGINATOR. THE PREVIOUS EVENING, THE ACFT RECEIVED AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTION (SC) AND WAS 'CERTIFIED' TO GO. HOWEVER, THE ONLY 'PINK' PAGE IN THE LOGBOOK WAS THE PAGE FOR THE LAST SERIES OF FLTS -- WHICH INCLUDED A BIRD STRIKE WRITE-UP AND SIGNOFF AS WELL AS THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE. I CALLED MAINT AND THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PREVIOUS '5' PAGES SO THEY PROVIDED ME WITH A COMPUTER PRINTOUT OF THE HISTORY OF THE ACFT FOR THE PREVIOUS 7 DAYS. THE MECHS WERE VERY HELPFUL AND I WAS COMFORTABLE THAT THE ACFT WAS BOTH LEGAL AND SAFE TO FLY. I WAS STILL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THE FACT THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE REQUISITE 'PINK' PAGES REQUIRED BY THE OPS MANUAL. I THEN CALLED MAINT CTL (VIA DISPATCH) AND SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT MY CONCERN -- I DESIRED A 'FORM' SIGNED BY A MAINT CTLR ATTESTING TO THE 'MISSING' PAGES AND STATING THAT THE HISTORY WAS, IN FACT, CLR. WITH A NOTE IN LIEU OF THE MISSING PAGES AND A VALID AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE, I FELT THAT 1) ANY FAA INSPECTOR WOULD BE SATISFIED AND 2) I COULD PASS THE ACFT ON TO THE NEXT PLT IN GOOD FAITH. MAINT TOLD ME THAT NO SUCH FORM EXISTED, AND THEIR REMEDY WAS TO MAKE THE MECHS PULL THE NEXT 5 WHITE PAGES SPECIFYING 'NO FLY MAINT,' WHICH WOULD LEAVE ME WITH 6 'PINK PAGES.' THIS WAS ACTUALLY DONE (LOGBOOK PAGE NUMBERS). NEXT, I SPOKE TO A CHIEF PLT (NAME) PRIOR TO DEPARTING, AND HE DISCUSSED THIS EPISODE WITH ME. WE AGREED THAT THE 6 'PINK' PAGE REQUIREMENT WAS TO PROVIDE THE PLT WITH AN ACFT HISTORY AND TREND -- SO WITH THE VERBAL BRIEF I RECEIVED FROM MAINT, THE 7 DAY COMPUTER PRINTOUT, AND WITH A VALID AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE, I HAD MET THE SPIRIT AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE REGULATIONS AND OPS MANUAL. I WAS GOOD TO GO, AND I WENT! IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE DECISION TO SIMPLY PULL 5 WHITE PAGES IN ORDER TO MEET THE OPS MANUAL REQUIREMENT OF '6' PINK PAGES DOESN'T MEET THE SPIRIT OF THE REQUIREMENT AND TENDS TOWARDS PENCIL WHIPPING! MAINT SHOULD HAVE A FORM THAT CAN BE PROVIDED TO THE PLT IN LIEU OF MISSING PAGES OR OUR OPS MANUAL SHOULD BE REVISED TO ALLOW FOR A 'PROC' FOR PLTS TO FOLLOW WHEN 'PINK' PAGES ARE MISSING.

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.