B737-300 captain was told by the air carrier maintenance controller not to write up improperly installed crew hand holds, that were installed backwards, by a contract maintenance provider.

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Attributes
ACN	596308
Time
Date	200310
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	596308
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : engineering procedure contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : unqualified personnel performance deficiency : training performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company FAA Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We arrived in stl and were flying an aircraft that had just come out of heavy maintenance. It was the aircraft's first revenue flight. On descent we determined that the handholds above the windows were installed backwards, apparently by the maintenance contractor. The captain called the maintenance controller on the ground in stl since we also had a minor light problem with the autothrottle. Proper deferral was done on the autothrottle light. The maintenance controller advised the captain to not write up the handholds which were installed backwards since it was a confign deviation and would likely cause the flight out of stl to be delayed significantly while the repair was completed. Captain left a note on the clipboard for oncoming captain of the deviation and that the maintenance controller knew about it but told us not to write it up. I was concerned about the deviation from SOP so I am filing this report. The confign deviation was minor, and probably not safety of flight originated, but it should have been documented.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CAPT WAS TOLD BY THE ACR MAINT CTLR NOT TO WRITE UP IMPROPERLY INSTALLED CREW HAND HOLDS, THAT WERE INSTALLED BACKWARDS, BY A CONTRACT MAINT PROVIDER.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED IN STL AND WERE FLYING AN ACFT THAT HAD JUST COME OUT OF HVY MAINT. IT WAS THE ACFT'S FIRST REVENUE FLT. ON DSCNT WE DETERMINED THAT THE HANDHOLDS ABOVE THE WINDOWS WERE INSTALLED BACKWARDS, APPARENTLY BY THE MAINT CONTRACTOR. THE CAPT CALLED THE MAINT CTLR ON THE GND IN STL SINCE WE ALSO HAD A MINOR LIGHT PROB WITH THE AUTOTHROTTLE. PROPER DEFERRAL WAS DONE ON THE AUTOTHROTTLE LIGHT. THE MAINT CTLR ADVISED THE CAPT TO NOT WRITE UP THE HANDHOLDS WHICH WERE INSTALLED BACKWARDS SINCE IT WAS A CONFIGN DEV AND WOULD LIKELY CAUSE THE FLT OUT OF STL TO BE DELAYED SIGNIFICANTLY WHILE THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. CAPT LEFT A NOTE ON THE CLIPBOARD FOR ONCOMING CAPT OF THE DEV AND THAT THE MAINT CTLR KNEW ABOUT IT BUT TOLD US NOT TO WRITE IT UP. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEV FROM SOP SO I AM FILING THIS RPT. THE CONFIGN DEV WAS MINOR, AND PROBABLY NOT SAFETY OF FLT ORIGINATED, BUT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED.

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.