Narrative:

On the way we experienced a right engine fuel clog annunciator. We ran the fuel clog abnormal checklist in the aom volume 1; fuel. We continued and landed uneventfully. Maintenance control asked that we fly the aircraft back. At the end of the abnormal checklist there is a sentence that states flight may continue to destination; or a series of flts. They used this sentence as their reason for us to operate the flight back to ZZZ. I told maintenance control I had already written the fuel clog up in the logbook. First he asked that I void the entry and then write it back up in ZZZ. I told him I was not going to do that. Then he said to change it to an information to maintenance. He said the airplane was fine to fly with no maintenance for the fuel filter and the problem would be fixed in ZZZ. I was not very comfortable with this so I called dispatch. Dispatch was very hesitant about flying it back also. I asked dispatch to connect me to chief pilot. He said it was probably fine if maintenance control said it was ok. He said the decision was up to me. I did not get any direction one way or the other. By this time ZZZ airport operation had been suspended and our flight was canceled. Maintenance control said they had to drain the fuel tank on the aircraft and it was a major job. He said the procedure allows for the airplane to continue to operate and we and the airplane were legal to operate. This gave me no other option short of refusing the aircraft; which I don't like to do unless I am sure I am correct. We agreed to operate the airplane the next morning when the suspension ended. On the top line of the maintenance entry; I wrote 'information to maintenance;' thus changing it from an open item to an 'information to maintenance.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATR72 WITH AN ENG FUEL CLOG WARNING LIGHT WAS FLOWN WITHOUT MAINT SVC BACK TO BASE ARPT. CAPT EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT OPERATING WITH THE WARNING LIGHT ON.

Narrative: ON THE WAY WE EXPERIENCED A R ENG FUEL CLOG ANNUNCIATOR. WE RAN THE FUEL CLOG ABNORMAL CHKLIST IN THE AOM VOLUME 1; FUEL. WE CONTINUED AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. MAINT CTL ASKED THAT WE FLY THE ACFT BACK. AT THE END OF THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST THERE IS A SENTENCE THAT STATES FLT MAY CONTINUE TO DEST; OR A SERIES OF FLTS. THEY USED THIS SENTENCE AS THEIR REASON FOR US TO OPERATE THE FLT BACK TO ZZZ. I TOLD MAINT CTL I HAD ALREADY WRITTEN THE FUEL CLOG UP IN THE LOGBOOK. FIRST HE ASKED THAT I VOID THE ENTRY AND THEN WRITE IT BACK UP IN ZZZ. I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT GOING TO DO THAT. THEN HE SAID TO CHANGE IT TO AN INFO TO MAINT. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS FINE TO FLY WITH NO MAINT FOR THE FUEL FILTER AND THE PROB WOULD BE FIXED IN ZZZ. I WAS NOT VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THIS SO I CALLED DISPATCH. DISPATCH WAS VERY HESITANT ABOUT FLYING IT BACK ALSO. I ASKED DISPATCH TO CONNECT ME TO CHIEF PLT. HE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY FINE IF MAINT CTL SAID IT WAS OK. HE SAID THE DECISION WAS UP TO ME. I DID NOT GET ANY DIRECTION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. BY THIS TIME ZZZ ARPT OP HAD BEEN SUSPENDED AND OUR FLT WAS CANCELED. MAINT CTL SAID THEY HAD TO DRAIN THE FUEL TANK ON THE ACFT AND IT WAS A MAJOR JOB. HE SAID THE PROC ALLOWS FOR THE AIRPLANE TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND WE AND THE AIRPLANE WERE LEGAL TO OPERATE. THIS GAVE ME NO OTHER OPTION SHORT OF REFUSING THE ACFT; WHICH I DON'T LIKE TO DO UNLESS I AM SURE I AM CORRECT. WE AGREED TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE THE NEXT MORNING WHEN THE SUSPENSION ENDED. ON THE TOP LINE OF THE MAINT ENTRY; I WROTE 'INFO TO MAINT;' THUS CHANGING IT FROM AN OPEN ITEM TO AN 'INFO TO MAINT.'

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.