Narrative:

Commenced cockpit preflight at XA25. Approximately XA35 first officer stated 'appears to be evidence of a bird strike on the left flap outboard of the #1 engine.' he further stated he would 'call it in' due short time frame before departure. After he called maintenance; I asked him to send a maintenance code since I had just finished loading the 'box.' at about XA50 I saw a mechanic driving up in a lift truck; and 2 other mechanics walking a min or so behind. The mechanic checked in on the radio and asked that I run the flaps down. I told him 'no I was unable' and he asked why. I stated that I was concerned with the safety and liability aspect of doing that before all the checklists were done. I told him that this appeared to be a 2 mechanic operation and I was uncomfortable doing this maintenance evolution. I said he could send up a mechanic to run the flaps down now. It seemed appropriate since the plane had over-nighted and had been given a 'thorough inspection' for the layover. He replied; and I quote; '...#$% baby; acting like a little kid...when can you do it?' I replied 'about when the door closes' since it was just a few mins until scheduled departure; he stated he would wait. As soon as the customer service representative closed the door without notice to the cockpit; about XA57 and again the mechanic directed me to 'run the flaps down.' I told him no; he asked 'can the copilot do it?' and I replied 'not while I am here before the checklist is done.' I had purposely delayed the checklist in order to conform to our passenger policy of not tying the customers to their seats; since there was an ongoing maintenance issue. The customer service representative opened the door about this time to board additional passenger and the door remained open until the inspection was complete. The mechanic also said some words to the effect that he had been here 39 yrs and had given up a lot more than I had. I told him that he would still need another mechanic. About this time I observed the lift truck departing and 2 other mechanics walking away from the aircraft. I went to the customer service representative podium and called maintenance control and explained the current situation to the controller and he advised that he would call maintenance. Shortly after this I observed what appeared to be 2 supervisors approaching the aircraft. Supervisor #1 appeared in the cockpit; did not introduce himself but asked numerous questions. He was not displaying an identify on the upper portion of his body; so I don't know his name. I explained the situation as I saw it to him and he appeared to have already made up his mind and came across as bullying; hostile and intimidating. He advised me that 'pilots do this all the time; they even do engine runs for us without running checklists.' next; supervisor #2 advised me that I needed to 'vacate the cockpit.' I complied and waited in the jetbridge. A 4TH mechanic showed up; sneered as he passed me; and stated that 'we don't even have mechanics working with your seniority' after looking at my crew identify and badge expiration date. The inspection was completed I assumed since the mechanic left without a word and supervisor #2 threatened me upon exiting the aircraft and stated 'we know your name; your name's gonna be passed around the maintenance base.' I re-entered the cockpit; the customer service representative closed the door at about XB20 and the push crew checked in and we pushed at XB24; waiting for the maintenance code stamped XXX/XXX received via radio at XB30 and we took the salute; and taxied out. The lack of finding a bird strike on the overnight layover inspection led up to the event. It seems with the maintenance reaction there would be 3 things noted: 1) don't write up discrepancies (not allowed). 2) comply with maintenance without question and do as supervisor #1 stated 'pilots do this all the time; without running checklists...' (not acceptable). 3) maintenance control send out the requisite number of mechanics to complete an inspection independent of the flight crew; without perceived coercion; intimidation and hostility towards any other employees including flight crews. The basis of #3 comes from over 20 yrs of experience in aircraft maintenance (a&P with inspection authority/authorized); safety and accident investigations over an 8 yr period; numerous seminars with the FAA; and formal university and military training in maintenance and aircraft accident investigation. This is no simple 'he said; I said.' this is thuggery plain and simple by company management supervisors and mechanics. This will get us hurt if allowed to continue. The first officer was out of the cockpit during most of this event due to the ongoing nature of an open maintenance item.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 RPTS CONFLICT BTWN FLT CREW AND MAINT PERSONNEL REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTIVATION OF ACFT SYS DURING GATE MAINT.

Narrative: COMMENCED COCKPIT PREFLT AT XA25. APPROX XA35 FO STATED 'APPEARS TO BE EVIDENCE OF A BIRD STRIKE ON THE L FLAP OUTBOARD OF THE #1 ENG.' HE FURTHER STATED HE WOULD 'CALL IT IN' DUE SHORT TIME FRAME BEFORE DEP. AFTER HE CALLED MAINT; I ASKED HIM TO SEND A MAINT CODE SINCE I HAD JUST FINISHED LOADING THE 'BOX.' AT ABOUT XA50 I SAW A MECH DRIVING UP IN A LIFT TRUCK; AND 2 OTHER MECHS WALKING A MIN OR SO BEHIND. THE MECH CHKED IN ON THE RADIO AND ASKED THAT I RUN THE FLAPS DOWN. I TOLD HIM 'NO I WAS UNABLE' AND HE ASKED WHY. I STATED THAT I WAS CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY AND LIABILITY ASPECT OF DOING THAT BEFORE ALL THE CHKLISTS WERE DONE. I TOLD HIM THAT THIS APPEARED TO BE A 2 MECH OP AND I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE DOING THIS MAINT EVOLUTION. I SAID HE COULD SEND UP A MECH TO RUN THE FLAPS DOWN NOW. IT SEEMED APPROPRIATE SINCE THE PLANE HAD OVER-NIGHTED AND HAD BEEN GIVEN A 'THOROUGH INSPECTION' FOR THE LAYOVER. HE REPLIED; AND I QUOTE; '...#$% BABY; ACTING LIKE A LITTLE KID...WHEN CAN YOU DO IT?' I REPLIED 'ABOUT WHEN THE DOOR CLOSES' SINCE IT WAS JUST A FEW MINS UNTIL SCHEDULED DEP; HE STATED HE WOULD WAIT. AS SOON AS THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE CLOSED THE DOOR WITHOUT NOTICE TO THE COCKPIT; ABOUT XA57 AND AGAIN THE MECH DIRECTED ME TO 'RUN THE FLAPS DOWN.' I TOLD HIM NO; HE ASKED 'CAN THE COPLT DO IT?' AND I REPLIED 'NOT WHILE I AM HERE BEFORE THE CHKLIST IS DONE.' I HAD PURPOSELY DELAYED THE CHKLIST IN ORDER TO CONFORM TO OUR PAX POLICY OF NOT TYING THE CUSTOMERS TO THEIR SEATS; SINCE THERE WAS AN ONGOING MAINT ISSUE. THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE OPENED THE DOOR ABOUT THIS TIME TO BOARD ADDITIONAL PAX AND THE DOOR REMAINED OPEN UNTIL THE INSPECTION WAS COMPLETE. THE MECH ALSO SAID SOME WORDS TO THE EFFECT THAT HE HAD BEEN HERE 39 YRS AND HAD GIVEN UP A LOT MORE THAN I HAD. I TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD STILL NEED ANOTHER MECH. ABOUT THIS TIME I OBSERVED THE LIFT TRUCK DEPARTING AND 2 OTHER MECHS WALKING AWAY FROM THE ACFT. I WENT TO THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE PODIUM AND CALLED MAINT CTL AND EXPLAINED THE CURRENT SITUATION TO THE CTLR AND HE ADVISED THAT HE WOULD CALL MAINT. SHORTLY AFTER THIS I OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE 2 SUPVRS APCHING THE ACFT. SUPVR #1 APPEARED IN THE COCKPIT; DID NOT INTRODUCE HIMSELF BUT ASKED NUMEROUS QUESTIONS. HE WAS NOT DISPLAYING AN IDENT ON THE UPPER PORTION OF HIS BODY; SO I DON'T KNOW HIS NAME. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AS I SAW IT TO HIM AND HE APPEARED TO HAVE ALREADY MADE UP HIS MIND AND CAME ACROSS AS BULLYING; HOSTILE AND INTIMIDATING. HE ADVISED ME THAT 'PLTS DO THIS ALL THE TIME; THEY EVEN DO ENG RUNS FOR US WITHOUT RUNNING CHKLISTS.' NEXT; SUPVR #2 ADVISED ME THAT I NEEDED TO 'VACATE THE COCKPIT.' I COMPLIED AND WAITED IN THE JETBRIDGE. A 4TH MECH SHOWED UP; SNEERED AS HE PASSED ME; AND STATED THAT 'WE DON'T EVEN HAVE MECHS WORKING WITH YOUR SENIORITY' AFTER LOOKING AT MY CREW IDENT AND BADGE EXPIRATION DATE. THE INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED I ASSUMED SINCE THE MECH LEFT WITHOUT A WORD AND SUPVR #2 THREATENED ME UPON EXITING THE ACFT AND STATED 'WE KNOW YOUR NAME; YOUR NAME'S GONNA BE PASSED AROUND THE MAINT BASE.' I RE-ENTERED THE COCKPIT; THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE CLOSED THE DOOR AT ABOUT XB20 AND THE PUSH CREW CHKED IN AND WE PUSHED AT XB24; WAITING FOR THE MAINT CODE STAMPED XXX/XXX RECEIVED VIA RADIO AT XB30 AND WE TOOK THE SALUTE; AND TAXIED OUT. THE LACK OF FINDING A BIRD STRIKE ON THE OVERNIGHT LAYOVER INSPECTION LED UP TO THE EVENT. IT SEEMS WITH THE MAINT REACTION THERE WOULD BE 3 THINGS NOTED: 1) DON'T WRITE UP DISCREPANCIES (NOT ALLOWED). 2) COMPLY WITH MAINT WITHOUT QUESTION AND DO AS SUPVR #1 STATED 'PLTS DO THIS ALL THE TIME; WITHOUT RUNNING CHKLISTS...' (NOT ACCEPTABLE). 3) MAINT CTL SEND OUT THE REQUISITE NUMBER OF MECHS TO COMPLETE AN INSPECTION INDEPENDENT OF THE FLT CREW; WITHOUT PERCEIVED COERCION; INTIMIDATION AND HOSTILITY TOWARDS ANY OTHER EMPLOYEES INCLUDING FLT CREWS. THE BASIS OF #3 COMES FROM OVER 20 YRS OF EXPERIENCE IN ACFT MAINT (A&P WITH INSPECTION AUTH); SAFETY AND ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS OVER AN 8 YR PERIOD; NUMEROUS SEMINARS WITH THE FAA; AND FORMAL UNIVERSITY AND MIL TRAINING IN MAINT AND ACFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION. THIS IS NO SIMPLE 'HE SAID; I SAID.' THIS IS THUGGERY PLAIN AND SIMPLE BY COMPANY MGMNT SUPVRS AND MECHS. THIS WILL GET US HURT IF ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. THE FO WAS OUT OF THE COCKPIT DURING MOST OF THIS EVENT DUE TO THE ONGOING NATURE OF AN OPEN MAINT ITEM.

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.