Narrative:

Upon arriving at the airplane; I discovered that the cockpit was very dirty; even worse than our usual dirty cockpits; which have been steadily getting worse in recent months. In addition to dirt; grime; foodstuffs; and litter everywhere; there were small black insects crawling around the windshield; MCP; and captain's chart holder. A few of these creatures came to a swift end; courtesy of quickly improvised fly swatters made out of underutilized NOTAM printouts. During the flight I noticed that the cockpit was really overdue for cleaning. Specifically; on takeoff roll; I wondered if the parking brake was fully released and had to give the handle an extra push. The brake was released and indicating properly; however; the handle had so much grime on it that it did not move freely. Flying into the setting sun it was difficult to see traffic through the green sun shades due to liquid spills and accumulated dirt. Every time I touched the volume control on the #1 VHF radio; my hand stuck to some gooey substance on the panel. There were various large wrappers; pieces of food; and a chunk of bread approximately the size of a paperweight behind the rudder pedals. One of the circuit breaker panels was so covered with dirt that it was difficult to read the names of the circuit breakers; food particles and dirt were all over the center console. There were numerous old and recent food spills and dirt substances near the captain's cup holder. When it became chilly at altitude and I selected shoulder and foot heat on; it took a great deal of effort to move the switches. They were so thoroughly encased in grime and dirt. Throughout the flight; little black bugs appeared and made a nuisance of themselves; particularly when food was present. I cleaned as much as I could with multiple sani swabs and wrote up the dirty cockpit as a log item; stating 'cockpit dirty needs thorough cleaning. Insects noted' unfortunately; this began a series of miscoms. Maintenance control then sent the message to operations as follows; 'routine cleaning or servicing required.' when we arrived at the airplane in the morning; operations staff told me that they had contracted an outside vendor; who had billed the company for cleaning the cockpit thoroughly. They also contracted with outside maintenance to come and take a look at a trim section partially removed from a window exposing wiring. The first officer inspected it and confirmed that wires were exposed and maintenance was required. This was done in reasonably prompt order; but did cause a bit of a delay. The operations lady asked me to check if the cleaning and insect removal was satisfactory; and volunteered that she would have the contractors back if it was not done properly. She also told me that maintenance control needed to talk to the contractor to verify the insects had been properly extinguished. The cockpit looked as if absolutely nothing had been done. Operations summoned the contractors who sent 2 representatives who arrived with some paper towels and a bottle of windex. When I asked them what had been cleaned; they feigned inability to speak english. When I asked them if there wasn't someone at their company who could help me; one of them suddenly started speaking (accented) english fairly well; he admitted that they had done absolutely nothing at all in cleaning the cockpit and said that they weren't allowed to do anything in the cockpit except remove a trash bag. Somehow; this set of instructions had not prevented his company from billing the company for a thorough cockpit cleaning. I asked his name; and he told me it was mr X. So much for the thorough cleaning. Operations relayed this information to maintenance control and we advised that we would accept the airplane; but that it really did need a thorough cleaning. Also; I communicated to operations and maintenance control that we should not pay the contractor for a cockpit cleaning; when their own representative admitted that they had not done anything. Maintenance control very curtly informed me that it was not their responsibility. We then received a release which stated 'cockpit cleaning insufficient.'I requested a corrected release which reflected the actual reality of the situation; namely that the cockpit had not been cleaned at all. A subsequent mrd reflected this as a flight crew member comment. This brought up a question in my mind: if an insect infestation does require action; shouldn't we work a little harder to make sure that it is actually done? If insect infestation requires an inspection/treatment; are we legal to dispatch without it and how can we as flight crew check this? In the old days a thorough cockpit cleaning. What do we have to write up now in order to get the cockpit cleaned? When I spoke to maintenance control they were most unhappy; and asked me whether I was taking the airplane or not. I explained that I would accept it; but the cockpit really did need to be cleaned. Their only answer was to inquire whether I was on the crew taking it out of ZZZ1. I felt that this question implied that if they would not have it cleaned in ZZZ1 if they thought they could pass the problem on to another crew; which is not the way we ought to do things. In order to clarify the exact problems in the cockpit; I wrote up the problems individually; specifying each item which was operationally affected by the dirty conditions. We had other slight mechanical problems on that leg: the first officer's flight director quit for no reason and the forward lavatory developed difficulty in flushing. Upon arrival in ZZZ1; maintenance expressed some annoyance at the write-ups and asked me why I wrote them up. They told me that cleaning cockpits had been removed from maintenance functions; but not assigned to any other department. Since airplane cleaning is being done by outside vendors (who don't clean cockpits); they basically do not get cleaned anymore except during heavy maintenance checks. I explained the history and the conversations with maintenance control. After spending approximately 5-7 mins complaining that they don't do cockpit cleaning; they found a couple mechanics who arrived with a compressed air bottle (for blowing dirt out of small places); a broom; a very effective portable vacuum cleaner; and various other supplies. The mechanic who actually cleaned the cockpit and his supervisor who assisted (particularly after the flight director and lavatory problems were addressed) knew just how to use the supplies and did a thorough job. I offered to help him with the windex stuff; but he refused explaining that there had been a problem with a flight crew cleaning a cockpit a bit too aggressively; with resultant liquid damage to a fire panel which grounded the airplane for 3 days. I then offered to at least help out and clean the window shades; figuring I could contribute this part without endangering aviation safety; but he firmly refused on the grounds that he had to sign the window shades off as adequately clean; and he didn't want anyone else doing it. He told me that ZZZ1 did not have time to address the insect issue; but this was deferred for a later visit to ZZZ2. The release he sent confirmed this. Just as the cockpit cleaning was completed the other maintenance people finished the flight director; missing trim; lavatory troubleshooting work and we departed; approximately 20 mins late. On departure out of ZZZ2; I saw a few more insects crawling around and managed to swat them to death while taxiing. Shortly after takeoff; during initial climb and pressurization a whole bunch of them came flying out of the captain's cockpit window handle area all over my face. Because I was wearing glasses this was only a minor (if disgusting) nuisance. However; had flight conditions been different; or if the dirty cockpit had been successfully passed on to an unsuspecting crew; the outcome could have been less successful. I regret the delay incurred by this event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CAPT RPTS AN OVERNIGHT ACFT COCKPIT FILTHY; UNCLEAN AND VERMIN RIDDEN. STATION RPTED COCKPIT CLEANED BY CONTRACT CLEANING SVC.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING AT THE AIRPLANE; I DISCOVERED THAT THE COCKPIT WAS VERY DIRTY; EVEN WORSE THAN OUR USUAL DIRTY COCKPITS; WHICH HAVE BEEN STEADILY GETTING WORSE IN RECENT MONTHS. IN ADDITION TO DIRT; GRIME; FOODSTUFFS; AND LITTER EVERYWHERE; THERE WERE SMALL BLACK INSECTS CRAWLING AROUND THE WINDSHIELD; MCP; AND CAPT'S CHART HOLDER. A FEW OF THESE CREATURES CAME TO A SWIFT END; COURTESY OF QUICKLY IMPROVISED FLY SWATTERS MADE OUT OF UNDERUTILIZED NOTAM PRINTOUTS. DURING THE FLT I NOTICED THAT THE COCKPIT WAS REALLY OVERDUE FOR CLEANING. SPECIFICALLY; ON TKOF ROLL; I WONDERED IF THE PARKING BRAKE WAS FULLY RELEASED AND HAD TO GIVE THE HANDLE AN EXTRA PUSH. THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED AND INDICATING PROPERLY; HOWEVER; THE HANDLE HAD SO MUCH GRIME ON IT THAT IT DID NOT MOVE FREELY. FLYING INTO THE SETTING SUN IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE TFC THROUGH THE GREEN SUN SHADES DUE TO LIQUID SPILLS AND ACCUMULATED DIRT. EVERY TIME I TOUCHED THE VOLUME CTL ON THE #1 VHF RADIO; MY HAND STUCK TO SOME GOOEY SUBSTANCE ON THE PANEL. THERE WERE VARIOUS LARGE WRAPPERS; PIECES OF FOOD; AND A CHUNK OF BREAD APPROX THE SIZE OF A PAPERWEIGHT BEHIND THE RUDDER PEDALS. ONE OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANELS WAS SO COVERED WITH DIRT THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO READ THE NAMES OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS; FOOD PARTICLES AND DIRT WERE ALL OVER THE CTR CONSOLE. THERE WERE NUMEROUS OLD AND RECENT FOOD SPILLS AND DIRT SUBSTANCES NEAR THE CAPT'S CUP HOLDER. WHEN IT BECAME CHILLY AT ALT AND I SELECTED SHOULDER AND FOOT HEAT ON; IT TOOK A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT TO MOVE THE SWITCHES. THEY WERE SO THOROUGHLY ENCASED IN GRIME AND DIRT. THROUGHOUT THE FLT; LITTLE BLACK BUGS APPEARED AND MADE A NUISANCE OF THEMSELVES; PARTICULARLY WHEN FOOD WAS PRESENT. I CLEANED AS MUCH AS I COULD WITH MULTIPLE SANI SWABS AND WROTE UP THE DIRTY COCKPIT AS A LOG ITEM; STATING 'COCKPIT DIRTY NEEDS THOROUGH CLEANING. INSECTS NOTED' UNFORTUNATELY; THIS BEGAN A SERIES OF MISCOMS. MAINT CTL THEN SENT THE MESSAGE TO OPS AS FOLLOWS; 'ROUTINE CLEANING OR SVCING REQUIRED.' WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPLANE IN THE MORNING; OPS STAFF TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD CONTRACTED AN OUTSIDE VENDOR; WHO HAD BILLED THE COMPANY FOR CLEANING THE COCKPIT THOROUGHLY. THEY ALSO CONTRACTED WITH OUTSIDE MAINT TO COME AND TAKE A LOOK AT A TRIM SECTION PARTIALLY REMOVED FROM A WINDOW EXPOSING WIRING. THE FO INSPECTED IT AND CONFIRMED THAT WIRES WERE EXPOSED AND MAINT WAS REQUIRED. THIS WAS DONE IN REASONABLY PROMPT ORDER; BUT DID CAUSE A BIT OF A DELAY. THE OPS LADY ASKED ME TO CHK IF THE CLEANING AND INSECT REMOVAL WAS SATISFACTORY; AND VOLUNTEERED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE THE CONTRACTORS BACK IF IT WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY. SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT MAINT CTL NEEDED TO TALK TO THE CONTRACTOR TO VERIFY THE INSECTS HAD BEEN PROPERLY EXTINGUISHED. THE COCKPIT LOOKED AS IF ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE. OPS SUMMONED THE CONTRACTORS WHO SENT 2 REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARRIVED WITH SOME PAPER TOWELS AND A BOTTLE OF WINDEX. WHEN I ASKED THEM WHAT HAD BEEN CLEANED; THEY FEIGNED INABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH. WHEN I ASKED THEM IF THERE WASN'T SOMEONE AT THEIR COMPANY WHO COULD HELP ME; ONE OF THEM SUDDENLY STARTED SPEAKING (ACCENTED) ENGLISH FAIRLY WELL; HE ADMITTED THAT THEY HAD DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT ALL IN CLEANING THE COCKPIT AND SAID THAT THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DO ANYTHING IN THE COCKPIT EXCEPT REMOVE A TRASH BAG. SOMEHOW; THIS SET OF INSTRUCTIONS HAD NOT PREVENTED HIS COMPANY FROM BILLING THE COMPANY FOR A THOROUGH COCKPIT CLEANING. I ASKED HIS NAME; AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS MR X. SO MUCH FOR THE THOROUGH CLEANING. OPS RELAYED THIS INFO TO MAINT CTL AND WE ADVISED THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT THE AIRPLANE; BUT THAT IT REALLY DID NEED A THOROUGH CLEANING. ALSO; I COMMUNICATED TO OPS AND MAINT CTL THAT WE SHOULD NOT PAY THE CONTRACTOR FOR A COCKPIT CLEANING; WHEN THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVE ADMITTED THAT THEY HAD NOT DONE ANYTHING. MAINT CTL VERY CURTLY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. WE THEN RECEIVED A RELEASE WHICH STATED 'COCKPIT CLEANING INSUFFICIENT.'I REQUESTED A CORRECTED RELEASE WHICH REFLECTED THE ACTUAL REALITY OF THE SITUATION; NAMELY THAT THE COCKPIT HAD NOT BEEN CLEANED AT ALL. A SUBSEQUENT MRD REFLECTED THIS AS A FLT CREW MEMBER COMMENT. THIS BROUGHT UP A QUESTION IN MY MIND: IF AN INSECT INFESTATION DOES REQUIRE ACTION; SHOULDN'T WE WORK A LITTLE HARDER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS ACTUALLY DONE? IF INSECT INFESTATION REQUIRES AN INSPECTION/TREATMENT; ARE WE LEGAL TO DISPATCH WITHOUT IT AND HOW CAN WE AS FLT CREW CHK THIS? IN THE OLD DAYS A THOROUGH COCKPIT CLEANING. WHAT DO WE HAVE TO WRITE UP NOW IN ORDER TO GET THE COCKPIT CLEANED? WHEN I SPOKE TO MAINT CTL THEY WERE MOST UNHAPPY; AND ASKED ME WHETHER I WAS TAKING THE AIRPLANE OR NOT. I EXPLAINED THAT I WOULD ACCEPT IT; BUT THE COCKPIT REALLY DID NEED TO BE CLEANED. THEIR ONLY ANSWER WAS TO INQUIRE WHETHER I WAS ON THE CREW TAKING IT OUT OF ZZZ1. I FELT THAT THIS QUESTION IMPLIED THAT IF THEY WOULD NOT HAVE IT CLEANED IN ZZZ1 IF THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD PASS THE PROB ON TO ANOTHER CREW; WHICH IS NOT THE WAY WE OUGHT TO DO THINGS. IN ORDER TO CLARIFY THE EXACT PROBS IN THE COCKPIT; I WROTE UP THE PROBS INDIVIDUALLY; SPECIFYING EACH ITEM WHICH WAS OPERATIONALLY AFFECTED BY THE DIRTY CONDITIONS. WE HAD OTHER SLIGHT MECHANICAL PROBS ON THAT LEG: THE FO'S FLT DIRECTOR QUIT FOR NO REASON AND THE FORWARD LAVATORY DEVELOPED DIFFICULTY IN FLUSHING. UPON ARR IN ZZZ1; MAINT EXPRESSED SOME ANNOYANCE AT THE WRITE-UPS AND ASKED ME WHY I WROTE THEM UP. THEY TOLD ME THAT CLEANING COCKPITS HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM MAINT FUNCTIONS; BUT NOT ASSIGNED TO ANY OTHER DEPT. SINCE AIRPLANE CLEANING IS BEING DONE BY OUTSIDE VENDORS (WHO DON'T CLEAN COCKPITS); THEY BASICALLY DO NOT GET CLEANED ANYMORE EXCEPT DURING HVY MAINT CHKS. I EXPLAINED THE HISTORY AND THE CONVERSATIONS WITH MAINT CTL. AFTER SPENDING APPROX 5-7 MINS COMPLAINING THAT THEY DON'T DO COCKPIT CLEANING; THEY FOUND A COUPLE MECHS WHO ARRIVED WITH A COMPRESSED AIR BOTTLE (FOR BLOWING DIRT OUT OF SMALL PLACES); A BROOM; A VERY EFFECTIVE PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANER; AND VARIOUS OTHER SUPPLIES. THE MECH WHO ACTUALLY CLEANED THE COCKPIT AND HIS SUPVR WHO ASSISTED (PARTICULARLY AFTER THE FLT DIRECTOR AND LAVATORY PROBS WERE ADDRESSED) KNEW JUST HOW TO USE THE SUPPLIES AND DID A THOROUGH JOB. I OFFERED TO HELP HIM WITH THE WINDEX STUFF; BUT HE REFUSED EXPLAINING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROB WITH A FLT CREW CLEANING A COCKPIT A BIT TOO AGGRESSIVELY; WITH RESULTANT LIQUID DAMAGE TO A FIRE PANEL WHICH GNDED THE AIRPLANE FOR 3 DAYS. I THEN OFFERED TO AT LEAST HELP OUT AND CLEAN THE WINDOW SHADES; FIGURING I COULD CONTRIBUTE THIS PART WITHOUT ENDANGERING AVIATION SAFETY; BUT HE FIRMLY REFUSED ON THE GROUNDS THAT HE HAD TO SIGN THE WINDOW SHADES OFF AS ADEQUATELY CLEAN; AND HE DIDN'T WANT ANYONE ELSE DOING IT. HE TOLD ME THAT ZZZ1 DID NOT HAVE TIME TO ADDRESS THE INSECT ISSUE; BUT THIS WAS DEFERRED FOR A LATER VISIT TO ZZZ2. THE RELEASE HE SENT CONFIRMED THIS. JUST AS THE COCKPIT CLEANING WAS COMPLETED THE OTHER MAINT PEOPLE FINISHED THE FLT DIRECTOR; MISSING TRIM; LAVATORY TROUBLESHOOTING WORK AND WE DEPARTED; APPROX 20 MINS LATE. ON DEP OUT OF ZZZ2; I SAW A FEW MORE INSECTS CRAWLING AROUND AND MANAGED TO SWAT THEM TO DEATH WHILE TAXIING. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF; DURING INITIAL CLB AND PRESSURIZATION A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM CAME FLYING OUT OF THE CAPT'S COCKPIT WINDOW HANDLE AREA ALL OVER MY FACE. BECAUSE I WAS WEARING GLASSES THIS WAS ONLY A MINOR (IF DISGUSTING) NUISANCE. HOWEVER; HAD FLT CONDITIONS BEEN DIFFERENT; OR IF THE DIRTY COCKPIT HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY PASSED ON TO AN UNSUSPECTING CREW; THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN LESS SUCCESSFUL. I REGRET THE DELAY INCURRED BY THIS EVENT.

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.