Narrative:

During my walkaround I discovered the left surge tank drain valve leaking. I wrote it up and it was signed off as not leaking. I re-inspected the area and found it to be still dripping fuel. I wrote the item up a second time and it was deferred as a 'fuel seep.' I told the mechanics that I did not believe that dripping fuel from the wing was considered a seep and the mechanic told me he was standing by his deferral. After extensive discussions including about 1 hour on the phone with a management pilot supervisor; I could not find enough evidence to prove the deferral wrong. I proceeded to fly my scheduled leg into ZZZ. Upon arrival into ZZZ; I showed the mechanics who caught the aircraft the fuel leak and both were in full agreement that this was non-deferrable and I should not have flown the aircraft. The aircraft was taken OTS and repaired. I did not have the manuals to prove maintenance control wrong and they had told me that the deferral was correct. Hindsight says I should have not moved the aircraft until the repairs had been done.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 CAPT RPTS WRITING UP A SURGE TANK DRAIN VALVE LEAK. SIGNOFF WAS NOT LEAKING. CAPT RE-INSPECTED LEAK FOUND FUEL DRIPPING. WRITE-UP AGAIN CLRED WITH DEFERRED ITEM TO CORRECT FUEL SEEP.

Narrative: DURING MY WALKAROUND I DISCOVERED THE L SURGE TANK DRAIN VALVE LEAKING. I WROTE IT UP AND IT WAS SIGNED OFF AS NOT LEAKING. I RE-INSPECTED THE AREA AND FOUND IT TO BE STILL DRIPPING FUEL. I WROTE THE ITEM UP A SECOND TIME AND IT WAS DEFERRED AS A 'FUEL SEEP.' I TOLD THE MECHS THAT I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT DRIPPING FUEL FROM THE WING WAS CONSIDERED A SEEP AND THE MECH TOLD ME HE WAS STANDING BY HIS DEFERRAL. AFTER EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS INCLUDING ABOUT 1 HR ON THE PHONE WITH A MGMNT PLT SUPVR; I COULD NOT FIND ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO PROVE THE DEFERRAL WRONG. I PROCEEDED TO FLY MY SCHEDULED LEG INTO ZZZ. UPON ARR INTO ZZZ; I SHOWED THE MECHS WHO CAUGHT THE ACFT THE FUEL LEAK AND BOTH WERE IN FULL AGREEMENT THAT THIS WAS NON-DEFERRABLE AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS AND REPAIRED. I DID NOT HAVE THE MANUALS TO PROVE MAINT CTL WRONG AND THEY HAD TOLD ME THAT THE DEFERRAL WAS CORRECT. HINDSIGHT SAYS I SHOULD HAVE NOT MOVED THE ACFT UNTIL THE REPAIRS HAD BEEN DONE.

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.