B737-300 captain delays departure for galley equipment maintenance.

Attributes
ACN	665681
Time
Date	200507
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
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 : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	665681
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : 6
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

About 15 min prior to departure the aft flight attendant notified me that the aft chiller didn't work. We entered a log item and notified the maintenance controller. About the time the passenger agent asked if he could close the door. I asked him to keep it open because I had not talked to a mechanic yet. About 2 mins later; the passenger agent told me that operations said to close door; I had what I needed. I told him I still had not talked to or seen a mechanic yet and had no idea what the mechanic was going to do with our log item. He left and came back saying that operations said he was to close the door. I told him the maintenance release was starting to print; but I still had no contact with maintenance. The maintenance release showed the item as deferred and the MEL placard had maintenance items to be completed. The first officer continued to reach maintenance control on the radio and the passenger agent relayed to operations that we needed to see a mechanic. When the mechanic showed up I asked him if he needed to accomplish the maintenance items on the MEL placard. He said yes; but he was just going to let me go and see if it worked. I told him that I couldn't do that and the item has to be fixed and cleared or deferred and made inoperative. After the maintenance was done and we pushed; I noticed that operations gave the delay to the cockpit. Operations at ord is trying to trade safety for speed. They are trying to put pressure on the passenger agents not to listen to the captain and for the captain to allow this to happen. While I knew I wasn't going to go until this was fixed; I felt that operations was going to do all they could to try to get me to leave. Since operations does not understand what it takes to make a plane airworthy; they should not try to make decisions about maintenance items and if the crew really needs to see a mechanic. While they may think they are trying to run an on time airline; they are creating an unsafe operation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CAPT DELAYS DEP FOR GALLEY EQUIP MAINT.

Narrative: ABOUT 15 MIN PRIOR TO DEP THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME THAT THE AFT CHILLER DIDN'T WORK. WE ENTERED A LOG ITEM AND NOTIFIED THE MAINT CTLR. ABOUT THE TIME THE PAX AGENT ASKED IF HE COULD CLOSE THE DOOR. I ASKED HIM TO KEEP IT OPEN BECAUSE I HAD NOT TALKED TO A MECHANIC YET. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER; THE PAX AGENT TOLD ME THAT OPS SAID TO CLOSE DOOR; I HAD WHAT I NEEDED. I TOLD HIM I STILL HAD NOT TALKED TO OR SEEN A MECHANIC YET AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE MECHANIC WAS GOING TO DO WITH OUR LOG ITEM. HE LEFT AND CAME BACK SAYING THAT OPS SAID HE WAS TO CLOSE THE DOOR. I TOLD HIM THE MAINT RELEASE WAS STARTING TO PRINT; BUT I STILL HAD NO CONTACT WITH MAINT. THE MAINT RELEASE SHOWED THE ITEM AS DEFERRED AND THE MEL PLACARD HAD MAINT ITEMS TO BE COMPLETED. THE FO CONTINUED TO REACH MAINT CTL ON THE RADIO AND THE PAX AGENT RELAYED TO OPS THAT WE NEEDED TO SEE A MECHANIC. WHEN THE MECHANIC SHOWED UP I ASKED HIM IF HE NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH THE MAINT ITEMS ON THE MEL PLACARD. HE SAID YES; BUT HE WAS JUST GOING TO LET ME GO AND SEE IF IT WORKED. I TOLD HIM THAT I COULDN'T DO THAT AND THE ITEM HAS TO BE FIXED AND CLRED OR DEFERRED AND MADE INOP. AFTER THE MAINT WAS DONE AND WE PUSHED; I NOTICED THAT OPS GAVE THE DELAY TO THE COCKPIT. OPS AT ORD IS TRYING TO TRADE SAFETY FOR SPD. THEY ARE TRYING TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE PAX AGENTS NOT TO LISTEN TO THE CAPT AND FOR THE CAPT TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. WHILE I KNEW I WASN'T GOING TO GO UNTIL THIS WAS FIXED; I FELT THAT OPS WAS GOING TO DO ALL THEY COULD TO TRY TO GET ME TO LEAVE. SINCE OPS DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A PLANE AIRWORTHY; THEY SHOULD NOT TRY TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT MAINT ITEMS AND IF THE CREW REALLY NEEDS TO SEE A MECHANIC. WHILE THEY MAY THINK THEY ARE TRYING TO RUN AN ON TIME AIRLINE; THEY ARE CREATING AN UNSAFE OP.

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.