A B757-200 crew flew with a bolt head broken off from no 4 wheel.

Attributes
ACN	628345
Time
Date	200408
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	628345
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	628352
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 3, 4, 6
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : non availability of parts contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : training
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Maintenance Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Aircraft was parked on a remote hard stand. During preflight duties while passenger were boarding, a maintenance man came into the cockpit and asked to speak to us. He said he was the maintenance personnel and that the number four tire had a bolt head broken off. It was reported that it was discovered last night and that the maintenance controller was notified and ok'd the flight to ZZZ for repairs. We were told that the problem had no safety implications and the bolt only held a ring in place and had nothing to do with holding the wheel on. I went down to look at the wheel and asked to speak to the maintenance supervisor. I was introduced to the same individual that I met in the cockpit. He assured me again that there were no safety implications and the maintenance controller was aware of the problem. I asked for a placard and was told the maintenance controller did not want to placard the aircraft, but wanted me to fly the aircraft to ZZZ for repairs. I did. On the ground we were told we flew with a no-go item. Supplemental information from acn 628352: during preflight in ZZZZ, a maintenance technician came on the aircraft and told us there was a bolt on the #4 tire that had a bolt head sheared off. He said he had been working with the maintenance controller since the night before, and that they were aware of the problem. He went on to say that there were no tires in ZZZZ and we were to fly to ZZZ where the tire would be replaced. The captain looked at the tire and asked if we needed a placard. The technician said that the maintenance controller said there was no need and everyone was aware of the problem. He went on to say that the bolt was no big deal and was not needed to hold the tire on the aircraft. Upon landing at ZZZ, we were informed by chief pilot that the bolt in question was a no-go item. Callback conversation with reporter acn 628345 revealed the following information: the captain stated the local ground crew had been counseled. The captain also said the next time he would have written it in the maintenance log to either be deferred or signed off.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CREW FLEW WITH A BOLT HEAD BROKEN OFF FROM NO 4 WHEEL.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PARKED ON A REMOTE HARD STAND. DURING PREFLT DUTIES WHILE PAX WERE BOARDING, A MAINT MAN CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED TO SPEAK TO US. HE SAID HE WAS THE MAINT PERSONNEL AND THAT THE NUMBER FOUR TIRE HAD A BOLT HEAD BROKEN OFF. IT WAS RPTED THAT IT WAS DISCOVERED LAST NIGHT AND THAT THE MAINT CTLR WAS NOTIFIED AND OK'D THE FLT TO ZZZ FOR REPAIRS. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PROB HAD NO SAFETY IMPLICATIONS AND THE BOLT ONLY HELD A RING IN PLACE AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HOLDING THE WHEEL ON. I WENT DOWN TO LOOK AT THE WHEEL AND ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE MAINT SUPVR. I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE SAME INDIVIDUAL THAT I MET IN THE COCKPIT. HE ASSURED ME AGAIN THAT THERE WERE NO SAFETY IMPLICATIONS AND THE MAINT CTLR WAS AWARE OF THE PROB. I ASKED FOR A PLACARD AND WAS TOLD THE MAINT CTLR DID NOT WANT TO PLACARD THE ACFT, BUT WANTED ME TO FLY THE ACFT TO ZZZ FOR REPAIRS. I DID. ON THE GND WE WERE TOLD WE FLEW WITH A NO-GO ITEM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 628352: DURING PREFLT IN ZZZZ, A MAINT TECHNICIAN CAME ON THE ACFT AND TOLD US THERE WAS A BOLT ON THE #4 TIRE THAT HAD A BOLT HEAD SHEARED OFF. HE SAID HE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE MAINT CTLR SINCE THE NIGHT BEFORE, AND THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROB. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THERE WERE NO TIRES IN ZZZZ AND WE WERE TO FLY TO ZZZ WHERE THE TIRE WOULD BE REPLACED. THE CAPT LOOKED AT THE TIRE AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED A PLACARD. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT THE MAINT CTLR SAID THERE WAS NO NEED AND EVERYONE WAS AWARE OF THE PROB. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE BOLT WAS NO BIG DEAL AND WAS NOT NEEDED TO HOLD THE TIRE ON THE ACFT. UPON LNDG AT ZZZ, WE WERE INFORMED BY CHIEF PLT THAT THE BOLT IN QUESTION WAS A NO-GO ITEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 628345 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT STATED THE LOCAL GND CREW HAD BEEN COUNSELED. THE CAPT ALSO SAID THE NEXT TIME HE WOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT IN THE MAINT LOG TO EITHER BE DEFERRED OR SIGNED OFF.

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.