 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A B737-500 captain reports refusing aircraft due to pack and pressurization deferred items. Captain expresses concern about carrier deferring related downgraded system.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 704037 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200607 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 10000 |
| ASRS Report | 704037 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other Other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : training |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Environmental Factor Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Publication | MEL |
Narrative:
We were assigned an aircraft with automatic speedbrake inoperative and left pack inoperative; both deferred. The inbound crew also wrote up a pressurization item which deferred the automatic mode of pressurization inoperative. We refused the plane as related system were downgraded (packs and pressurization). Maintenance eventually replaced pressure panel reinstating full pressurization system and we departed 90 mins late. I am surprised that related downgraded system could be deferred together and feel the company is pushing the edge of safety with this practice. On previous day flight abc; we had antiskid deferred inoperative with significant performance penalties and braking safety concerns. Later flight #def had a reverser deferred inoperative. Is this trend a good idea?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-500 CAPT RPTS REFUSING ACFT DUE TO PACK AND PRESSURIZATION DEFERRED ITEMS. CAPT EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT CARRIER DEFERRING RELATED DOWNGRADED SYS.
Narrative: WE WERE ASSIGNED AN ACFT WITH AUTO SPEEDBRAKE INOP AND L PACK INOP; BOTH DEFERRED. THE INBOUND CREW ALSO WROTE UP A PRESSURIZATION ITEM WHICH DEFERRED THE AUTO MODE OF PRESSURIZATION INOP. WE REFUSED THE PLANE AS RELATED SYS WERE DOWNGRADED (PACKS AND PRESSURIZATION). MAINT EVENTUALLY REPLACED PRESSURE PANEL REINSTATING FULL PRESSURIZATION SYS AND WE DEPARTED 90 MINS LATE. I AM SURPRISED THAT RELATED DOWNGRADED SYS COULD BE DEFERRED TOGETHER AND FEEL THE COMPANY IS PUSHING THE EDGE OF SAFETY WITH THIS PRACTICE. ON PREVIOUS DAY FLT ABC; WE HAD ANTISKID DEFERRED INOP WITH SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCE PENALTIES AND BRAKING SAFETY CONCERNS. LATER FLT #DEF HAD A REVERSER DEFERRED INOP. IS THIS TREND A GOOD IDEA?
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.