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An airbus 300 captain reports finding 6 open logbook items prior to departure and experiences confrontation with gate technician on improper signoff.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 604883 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200401 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : takeoff roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 604883 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
Flew flight from ZZZ to ZZZ1. During preflight, I had a discussion with a company ground mechanic. I was unhappy with the discussion. I asked him for his name and employee number. He refused to give it. He said 'I got your name and number' and left. Upon leveloff, I pulled the book out to look up the mechanic number. He did not put it in the book for clearing the write-up. Only had his signature which I couldn't read. So now I'm flying an aircraft with half a signoff. Like me, he is required to sign both name and employee number per FAA. I contend he purposefully omitted this information because he knew I wanted it. Our discussion before the flight involved some write-ups that I found about 20-25 mins before takeoff. We were at the end of the book's pages. I opened it up and checked it. In the process, 2 pages with 6 items were missed by me. The pages stuck or something. I found them when we finally finished the before starting engine checklist and I checked the book again. They were also missed by maintenance. They thought the book was ready to go when they brought it to me. Had I not found it, I would have been flying with 6 open write-ups. This mechanic, I think, thought that I had put 6 write-ups in at the last min. But, they were from an inbound flight -- not me. So, the fact remains, why would a guy jeopardize his license and not sign off the item correctly? What kind of stress is he operating under up at ZZZ that he would do such a thing to keep me from getting his employee number? What other things are being done incorrectly up there? Is the ZZZ base undermanned? Overworked? I'm sure this mechanic is a long time employee with a good career at air carrier X. Yet, something caused him to act this way. The employees of this company have taken tremendous hits this past yr. Loss of income and furloughs. Is it possible air carrier has gone a little too far with the ground forces at ZZZ?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIRBUS 300 CAPT RPTS FINDING 6 OPEN LOGBOOK ITEMS PRIOR TO DEP AND EXPERIENCES CONFRONTATION WITH GATE TECHNICIAN ON IMPROPER SIGNOFF.
Narrative: FLEW FLT FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1. DURING PREFLT, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH A COMPANY GND MECH. I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE DISCUSSION. I ASKED HIM FOR HIS NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER. HE REFUSED TO GIVE IT. HE SAID 'I GOT YOUR NAME AND NUMBER' AND LEFT. UPON LEVELOFF, I PULLED THE BOOK OUT TO LOOK UP THE MECH NUMBER. HE DID NOT PUT IT IN THE BOOK FOR CLRING THE WRITE-UP. ONLY HAD HIS SIGNATURE WHICH I COULDN'T READ. SO NOW I'M FLYING AN ACFT WITH HALF A SIGNOFF. LIKE ME, HE IS REQUIRED TO SIGN BOTH NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER PER FAA. I CONTEND HE PURPOSEFULLY OMITTED THIS INFO BECAUSE HE KNEW I WANTED IT. OUR DISCUSSION BEFORE THE FLT INVOLVED SOME WRITE-UPS THAT I FOUND ABOUT 20-25 MINS BEFORE TKOF. WE WERE AT THE END OF THE BOOK'S PAGES. I OPENED IT UP AND CHKED IT. IN THE PROCESS, 2 PAGES WITH 6 ITEMS WERE MISSED BY ME. THE PAGES STUCK OR SOMETHING. I FOUND THEM WHEN WE FINALLY FINISHED THE BEFORE STARTING ENG CHKLIST AND I CHKED THE BOOK AGAIN. THEY WERE ALSO MISSED BY MAINT. THEY THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS READY TO GO WHEN THEY BROUGHT IT TO ME. HAD I NOT FOUND IT, I WOULD HAVE BEEN FLYING WITH 6 OPEN WRITE-UPS. THIS MECH, I THINK, THOUGHT THAT I HAD PUT 6 WRITE-UPS IN AT THE LAST MIN. BUT, THEY WERE FROM AN INBOUND FLT -- NOT ME. SO, THE FACT REMAINS, WHY WOULD A GUY JEOPARDIZE HIS LICENSE AND NOT SIGN OFF THE ITEM CORRECTLY? WHAT KIND OF STRESS IS HE OPERATING UNDER UP AT ZZZ THAT HE WOULD DO SUCH A THING TO KEEP ME FROM GETTING HIS EMPLOYEE NUMBER? WHAT OTHER THINGS ARE BEING DONE INCORRECTLY UP THERE? IS THE ZZZ BASE UNDERMANNED? OVERWORKED? I'M SURE THIS MECH IS A LONG TIME EMPLOYEE WITH A GOOD CAREER AT ACR X. YET, SOMETHING CAUSED HIM TO ACT THIS WAY. THE EMPLOYEES OF THIS COMPANY HAVE TAKEN TREMENDOUS HITS THIS PAST YR. LOSS OF INCOME AND FURLOUGHS. IS IT POSSIBLE ACR HAS GONE A LITTLE TOO FAR WITH THE GND FORCES AT ZZZ?
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.