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A B737-500 captain reports a needless delay on departure caused by maintenance and a diversion caused by improper loading of a compartment that was to remain empty.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 645398 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200502 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz1.artcc tower : zzz.tower |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level ground : parked ground : preflight ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 750 |
| ASRS Report | 645398 |
| 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 maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport other |
| Consequence | other other other Other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
We were late arriving ZZZ because of a mechanical in ord and traffic in the ZZZ airport area. After parking; we were told that a rampie noticed a dent in the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer and reported it to maintenance. After inspecting the dent; maintenance eventually signed it off and we pushed back. While on the taxiway; prior to takeoff; we received a message from dispatch not to take off; and to return to the ramp. Maintenance did not like the fact that maintenance signed off the dent. After returning to the ramp; ZZZ maintenance got busy filling in the dent; and we called for more fuel. Eventually the dent was filled and we pushed back again. We departed and leveled at cruise for a few mins when we received a message from dispatch. They informed us that there was cargo in the forward pit; which was placarded to be left empty. Dispatch said that there was a chair and an aircraft computer in the pit and no combustible material (apparently the pit was to be kept empty because the fire detector was inoperative). He wanted to know what I thought about continuing versus making a stop to get the cargo out of the pit. I thought that we should continue; but dispatch did not trust the ramp personnel by this time; thinking that if they mistakenly placed cargo in the pit; they may also have placed more volatile materials there. He also found out that cargo was placed in the forward pit from ord-ZZZ on our previous leg -- again; against SOP. We decided to divert to get the cargo out of the pit. The cargo was removed and we again took on more fuel. The final leg was uneventful; except for some very angry customers. I kept the customers informed of everything that was going on throughout this terrible ordeal. I have never experienced so many cascading mistakes in a single day. The customers had every right to be angry. We looked anything but professional.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-500 CAPT RPTS A NEEDLESS DELAY ON DEP CAUSED BY MAINT AND A DIVERSION CAUSED BY IMPROPER LOADING OF A COMPARTMENT THAT WAS TO REMAIN EMPTY.
Narrative: WE WERE LATE ARRIVING ZZZ BECAUSE OF A MECHANICAL IN ORD AND TFC IN THE ZZZ ARPT AREA. AFTER PARKING; WE WERE TOLD THAT A RAMPIE NOTICED A DENT IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HORIZ STABILIZER AND RPTED IT TO MAINT. AFTER INSPECTING THE DENT; MAINT EVENTUALLY SIGNED IT OFF AND WE PUSHED BACK. WHILE ON THE TXWY; PRIOR TO TKOF; WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH NOT TO TAKE OFF; AND TO RETURN TO THE RAMP. MAINT DID NOT LIKE THE FACT THAT MAINT SIGNED OFF THE DENT. AFTER RETURNING TO THE RAMP; ZZZ MAINT GOT BUSY FILLING IN THE DENT; AND WE CALLED FOR MORE FUEL. EVENTUALLY THE DENT WAS FILLED AND WE PUSHED BACK AGAIN. WE DEPARTED AND LEVELED AT CRUISE FOR A FEW MINS WHEN WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH. THEY INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS CARGO IN THE FORWARD PIT; WHICH WAS PLACARDED TO BE LEFT EMPTY. DISPATCH SAID THAT THERE WAS A CHAIR AND AN ACFT COMPUTER IN THE PIT AND NO COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL (APPARENTLY THE PIT WAS TO BE KEPT EMPTY BECAUSE THE FIRE DETECTOR WAS INOP). HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT CONTINUING VERSUS MAKING A STOP TO GET THE CARGO OUT OF THE PIT. I THOUGHT THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE; BUT DISPATCH DID NOT TRUST THE RAMP PERSONNEL BY THIS TIME; THINKING THAT IF THEY MISTAKENLY PLACED CARGO IN THE PIT; THEY MAY ALSO HAVE PLACED MORE VOLATILE MATERIALS THERE. HE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT CARGO WAS PLACED IN THE FORWARD PIT FROM ORD-ZZZ ON OUR PREVIOUS LEG -- AGAIN; AGAINST SOP. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO GET THE CARGO OUT OF THE PIT. THE CARGO WAS REMOVED AND WE AGAIN TOOK ON MORE FUEL. THE FINAL LEG WAS UNEVENTFUL; EXCEPT FOR SOME VERY ANGRY CUSTOMERS. I KEPT THE CUSTOMERS INFORMED OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON THROUGHOUT THIS TERRIBLE ORDEAL. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SO MANY CASCADING MISTAKES IN A SINGLE DAY. THE CUSTOMERS HAD EVERY RIGHT TO BE ANGRY. WE LOOKED ANYTHING BUT PROFESSIONAL.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.