Narrative:

While doing the preflight walkaround; I noticed fluid on the tail section of the airplane. I was tempted to not report it because I knew that a maintenance write-up would result in a delay that would cause me to lose my turn. Since we aren't pay protected until the end of the month; this meant that I would be losing a significant amount of pay for the trip. I did report fluid; but I realized that the system that only pay protects a trip is a system that encourages pilots not to write up maintenance problems on flts that occur prior to the end of the month. Pilots may be strongly tempted not to report some less significant maintenance issues such as excessive tire wear or pack problems if it is going to cost them a significant amount of flight time (an therefore pay). This is similar to a system where pilots were personally rewarded for saving fuel; and they started behaving unsafely to preserve fuel. The current system of pay protecting trips only at month end is a system that discourages pilots from reporting maintenance problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PLT RPTS A LABOR CONTRACT PAY ISSUE DISCOURAGES PLTS FROM MAKING MAINT LOG ENTRIES.

Narrative: WHILE DOING THE PREFLT WALKAROUND; I NOTICED FLUID ON THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRPLANE. I WAS TEMPTED TO NOT RPT IT BECAUSE I KNEW THAT A MAINT WRITE-UP WOULD RESULT IN A DELAY THAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO LOSE MY TURN. SINCE WE AREN'T PAY PROTECTED UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH; THIS MEANT THAT I WOULD BE LOSING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PAY FOR THE TRIP. I DID RPT FLUID; BUT I REALIZED THAT THE SYS THAT ONLY PAY PROTECTS A TRIP IS A SYS THAT ENCOURAGES PLTS NOT TO WRITE UP MAINT PROBS ON FLTS THAT OCCUR PRIOR TO THE END OF THE MONTH. PLTS MAY BE STRONGLY TEMPTED NOT TO RPT SOME LESS SIGNIFICANT MAINT ISSUES SUCH AS EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR OR PACK PROBS IF IT IS GOING TO COST THEM A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FLT TIME (AN THEREFORE PAY). THIS IS SIMILAR TO A SYS WHERE PLTS WERE PERSONALLY REWARDED FOR SAVING FUEL; AND THEY STARTED BEHAVING UNSAFELY TO PRESERVE FUEL. THE CURRENT SYS OF PAY PROTECTING TRIPS ONLY AT MONTH END IS A SYS THAT DISCOURAGES PLTS FROM RPTING MAINT PROBS.

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.