Narrative:

I am concerned that a dangerous precedent is being set with respect to maintenance and aircrew writing aircraft discrepancies. Several times over the past 3 yrs I have been asked by maintenance; over the telephone; usually at an outstation to line out or cross out a maintenance discrepancy and write 'entered in error.' this happens on the ground usually after being asked to troubleshoot in some way to make the discrepancy go away. What also concerns me is that I hear this also from other pilots. This appears to me a system wide issue/problem. I understand that our maintenance department does a very good job and this may be their effort to minimize aircraft down status at outstations. However; the system of tracking and documenting maintenance issues with this aircraft is seriously degraded when maintenance discrepancies are 'not' documented and flight crews are seemingly encouraged to not document maintenance issues at outstations due to maintenance requesting pilot troubleshooting to clear a discrepancy and then line out a maintenance write-up if one was entered in the maintenance logbook. This practice could be a serious safety breach in some cases and I believe it is a problem and needs to be stopped immediately. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this lining out of the maintenance discrepancy and entering 'report entered in error' usually happens after some test or function is performed at the request of maintenance. Example 'powering down and re-powering' the aircraft or operating an engine for the fault correction and the action fails to correct the problem. This appears to be a growing problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ200 CAPT EXPRESSES CONCERN ON PRECEDENT BEING SET BY MAINT REQUESTING LINE OUT OF RPTS WRITTEN UP AT NON MAINT STATIONS. CREW ASKED TO CROSS OUT MAINT DISCREPANCY AND WRITE IN 'ENTERED IN ERROR.'

Narrative: I AM CONCERNED THAT A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT IS BEING SET WITH RESPECT TO MAINT AND AIRCREW WRITING ACFT DISCREPANCIES. SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST 3 YRS I HAVE BEEN ASKED BY MAINT; OVER THE TELEPHONE; USUALLY AT AN OUTSTATION TO LINE OUT OR CROSS OUT A MAINT DISCREPANCY AND WRITE 'ENTERED IN ERROR.' THIS HAPPENS ON THE GND USUALLY AFTER BEING ASKED TO TROUBLESHOOT IN SOME WAY TO MAKE THE DISCREPANCY GO AWAY. WHAT ALSO CONCERNS ME IS THAT I HEAR THIS ALSO FROM OTHER PLTS. THIS APPEARS TO ME A SYS WIDE ISSUE/PROB. I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR MAINT DEPT DOES A VERY GOOD JOB AND THIS MAY BE THEIR EFFORT TO MINIMIZE ACFT DOWN STATUS AT OUTSTATIONS. HOWEVER; THE SYS OF TRACKING AND DOCUMENTING MAINT ISSUES WITH THIS ACFT IS SERIOUSLY DEGRADED WHEN MAINT DISCREPANCIES ARE 'NOT' DOCUMENTED AND FLT CREWS ARE SEEMINGLY ENCOURAGED TO NOT DOCUMENT MAINT ISSUES AT OUTSTATIONS DUE TO MAINT REQUESTING PLT TROUBLESHOOTING TO CLR A DISCREPANCY AND THEN LINE OUT A MAINT WRITE-UP IF ONE WAS ENTERED IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK. THIS PRACTICE COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY BREACH IN SOME CASES AND I BELIEVE IT IS A PROB AND NEEDS TO BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS LINING OUT OF THE MAINT DISCREPANCY AND ENTERING 'RPT ENTERED IN ERROR' USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER SOME TEST OR FUNCTION IS PERFORMED AT THE REQUEST OF MAINT. EXAMPLE 'POWERING DOWN AND RE-POWERING' THE ACFT OR OPERATING AN ENG FOR THE FAULT CORRECTION AND THE ACTION FAILS TO CORRECT THE PROB. THIS APPEARS TO BE A GROWING PROB.

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.