Narrative:

Upon arrival at the airport; we were informed that because of flooding they could not fuel our airplane and we would have to make a fuel stop. During the preflight; we had a left side window heat inoperative message. Mechanics were in the process of doing an ETOPS inspection and came up to try to fix the problem. While they were working on the problem they were told to stop the etop check as they would be doing it in ZZZ2 because it would not be valid if we landed in ZZZ2. They could not fix the problem and maintenance MEL the left side window. With the side window MEL we could not make the etop trip so it had to be fixed in ZZZ2. We asked them how long the etop check would be and they informed us it would take longer than 2 hours because they would have to unload all the cargo bins which would add time. After an uneventful takeoff and landing; we rode in to the gate and a supervisor comes on board and tells us he will have us out of here in 30 mins. We reminded him he needed to do an etop check; at that time he left. They cycled the switch for the left window heat and said operations check is good on the ground and removed the MEL. After about 20 mins; we were informed that the etop check was almost complete and we would be on our way. The flight attendants came up knowing that the bags would have to be unloaded. The flight attendants informed us that no bags were unloaded and that they were scared because they do flts all the time and the check takes 1 1/2 - 2 hours to do and they were informed by the mechanics that it would take 2 - 2 1/2 hours because they had to unload the cargo bins. We asked the mechanic if he did all the checks. He informed us he does this all the time and it only takes 20 mins. We at this time called maintenance control and asked how long it should take to do etop check. He informed us 2 hours. We also asked if they had to remove the cargo; and he said yes. We then informed maintenance control that this maintenance supervisor just did the etop check in 20 mins and never opened the cargo bins. Maintenance control called the maintenance supervisor to find out what was going on. Maintenance control called us back and informed us that there is not much they can do because the maintenance supervisor was signing it off saying it was done. He did not feel good about it but his hands were tied. I then called the chief pilot on duty and explained the situation and he informed me to write up this report. At this time; the left side window heat failed again; and we called maintenance to come up and take a look at it. I left at this time to get the new paperwork and upon returning the flight was canceled. My first officer informed me on my return that they had a little problem between the 2 mechanics up there. Upon testing the new window controller; it did not meet the specifications but was working and 1 mechanic wanted to sign it off and the other mechanic said he would not be a part of it. It seems there is a lot of funny business going on with this ETOPS. If this guy can do etop checks in 20 mins and it's legal; we need to move him and cut our etop checks down from 2 hours to instead 20 mins. If he is pencil whipping it; then we have a major problem; and someone may end up in the drink.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 ARRIVED AT A STATION REQUIRING AN EXTENDED RANGE OVERWATER INSPECTION. THE INSPECTION WAS PENCIL WHIPPED AND COMPLETED IN 20 MINS. THE BAGGAGE CONTAINERS WERE NEVER UNLOADED FOR A PROPER INSPECTION.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT THE ARPT; WE WERE INFORMED THAT BECAUSE OF FLOODING THEY COULD NOT FUEL OUR AIRPLANE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A FUEL STOP. DURING THE PREFLT; WE HAD A L SIDE WINDOW HEAT INOP MESSAGE. MECHS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING AN ETOPS INSPECTION AND CAME UP TO TRY TO FIX THE PROB. WHILE THEY WERE WORKING ON THE PROB THEY WERE TOLD TO STOP THE ETOP CHK AS THEY WOULD BE DOING IT IN ZZZ2 BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT BE VALID IF WE LANDED IN ZZZ2. THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROB AND MAINT MEL THE L SIDE WINDOW. WITH THE SIDE WINDOW MEL WE COULD NOT MAKE THE ETOP TRIP SO IT HAD TO BE FIXED IN ZZZ2. WE ASKED THEM HOW LONG THE ETOP CHK WOULD BE AND THEY INFORMED US IT WOULD TAKE LONGER THAN 2 HRS BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO UNLOAD ALL THE CARGO BINS WHICH WOULD ADD TIME. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF AND LNDG; WE RODE IN TO THE GATE AND A SUPVR COMES ON BOARD AND TELLS US HE WILL HAVE US OUT OF HERE IN 30 MINS. WE REMINDED HIM HE NEEDED TO DO AN ETOP CHK; AT THAT TIME HE LEFT. THEY CYCLED THE SWITCH FOR THE L WINDOW HEAT AND SAID OPS CHK IS GOOD ON THE GND AND REMOVED THE MEL. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS; WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ETOP CHK WAS ALMOST COMPLETE AND WE WOULD BE ON OUR WAY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAME UP KNOWING THAT THE BAGS WOULD HAVE TO BE UNLOADED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED US THAT NO BAGS WERE UNLOADED AND THAT THEY WERE SCARED BECAUSE THEY DO FLTS ALL THE TIME AND THE CHK TAKES 1 1/2 - 2 HRS TO DO AND THEY WERE INFORMED BY THE MECHS THAT IT WOULD TAKE 2 - 2 1/2 HRS BECAUSE THEY HAD TO UNLOAD THE CARGO BINS. WE ASKED THE MECH IF HE DID ALL THE CHKS. HE INFORMED US HE DOES THIS ALL THE TIME AND IT ONLY TAKES 20 MINS. WE AT THIS TIME CALLED MAINT CTL AND ASKED HOW LONG IT SHOULD TAKE TO DO ETOP CHK. HE INFORMED US 2 HRS. WE ALSO ASKED IF THEY HAD TO REMOVE THE CARGO; AND HE SAID YES. WE THEN INFORMED MAINT CTL THAT THIS MAINT SUPVR JUST DID THE ETOP CHK IN 20 MINS AND NEVER OPENED THE CARGO BINS. MAINT CTL CALLED THE MAINT SUPVR TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. MAINT CTL CALLED US BACK AND INFORMED US THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH THEY CAN DO BECAUSE THE MAINT SUPVR WAS SIGNING IT OFF SAYING IT WAS DONE. HE DID NOT FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT BUT HIS HANDS WERE TIED. I THEN CALLED THE CHIEF PLT ON DUTY AND EXPLAINED THE SIT AND HE INFORMED ME TO WRITE UP THIS RPT. AT THIS TIME; THE L SIDE WINDOW HEAT FAILED AGAIN; AND WE CALLED MAINT TO COME UP AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I LEFT AT THIS TIME TO GET THE NEW PAPERWORK AND UPON RETURNING THE FLT WAS CANCELED. MY FO INFORMED ME ON MY RETURN THAT THEY HAD A LITTLE PROB BTWN THE 2 MECHS UP THERE. UPON TESTING THE NEW WINDOW CONTROLLER; IT DID NOT MEET THE SPECS BUT WAS WORKING AND 1 MECH WANTED TO SIGN IT OFF AND THE OTHER MECH SAID HE WOULD NOT BE A PART OF IT. IT SEEMS THERE IS A LOT OF FUNNY BUSINESS GOING ON WITH THIS ETOPS. IF THIS GUY CAN DO ETOP CHKS IN 20 MINS AND IT'S LEGAL; WE NEED TO MOVE HIM AND CUT OUR ETOP CHKS DOWN FROM 2 HRS TO INSTEAD 20 MINS. IF HE IS PENCIL WHIPPING IT; THEN WE HAVE A MAJOR PROB; AND SOMEONE MAY END UP IN THE DRINK.

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.