Narrative:

I was scheduled to fly out of rhi. The crew inbound let me know about some prior maintenance issues on previous log pages. Anti-skid and flight idle stop being pulled written up every day. At one point the anti-skid was deferred (by doing so you may have to pull the flight idle stop -- hence the write ups). The deferral was to expire; but the previous night it was cleared. But the very next flight it broke again in the same manner. The anti-skid caution light was on after we added external power to the aircraft on the ground in rhi (it was a crew change). So I wrote it up in rhi and waited for maintenance. Maintenance arrived; looked at logbook and said it would be a while -- he was going to troubleshoot and fix it. A minute or two later; maintenance control called and told the rhi maintenance to defer it. Rhi maintenance did so but was not too happy about it since the last deferral would have expired and the same problem existed. I called a chief and we talked for a while; and he said as long as it is deferred and the paperwork is all good; I should take revenue flight to msp. I still was not ok but after talking it out (good WX; long dry runway in msp; deferred; paperwork); and was told by chief that rhi would not have the parts to fix anyway so just get it back to msp where it could be fixed. I was told the deferral was ok and legal and has been done many times before; so; just get it back to msp. I eventually agreed that it was safe enough so off to msp. So we get back to msp need to pull the flight idle stop on landing; and park at the gate; and look up at the sign at the gate and see flight going to ZZZ in 18 minutes; my next leg. My thinking is that this plane was going to the hangar to be fixed; but it was now scheduled to go to ZZZ and back and then ZZZ1 and back with my crew. So I call dispatch; get patched to chief (chief and maintenance supervisor. They essentially tag team me and tell me we will be taking flight to ZZZ and back then ZZZ1 and back. My response is no; get me another aircraft. Their response is we have none; they are short of mechanics and cannot even send one with us to reset the flight idle stop in ZZZ or ZZZ1; they'll have a contract mechanic there at ZZZ and ZZZ1 to reset the flight idle stop. I still said no; and repeated what I was told; to bring it back to msp so it could be fixed; and that it is not normal to fly without anti-skid and pulling the flight idle stop in every landing; at least not at my air carrier. I was then threatened with a flight refusal. I still insisted that the plane should be fixed. After keeping them both on the phone for awhile stating that normally we would be swapped and this plane would be fixed except now we are short on aircraft; maintenance; and crews. Finally maintenance supervisor said that they did not have anyone in ZZZ to reset the flight idle stop anyway; so they were going to swap us out and give us another aircraft.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane had the anti-skid system deferred for 5 days and was cleared and then deferred again. The reporter contacted the chief pilot about the chronic anti-skid system and was told to fly the airplane to the next station which was a maintenance station and would be fixed. The logbook advised the crew to pull the flight idle stop on the ground to get ground idle for reversing; not a normal or approved procedure. On arrival; the reporter noted the airplane was again routed out in 18 mins. Reporter contacted the chief pilot and maintenance manager and after some discussion refused the airplane. The flight crew was switched to another airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340B WAS DISPATCHED WITH A CHRONIC ANTI-SKID SYSTEM DEFERRED AND REPEATED FAILURE AFTER REPORTED BEING FIXED. IT WAS NECESSARY TO PULL FLT IDLE STOP TO ALLOW GND IDLE FOR REVERSING. NOT A NORMAL PROC. CAPT REFUSED AIRPLANE.

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY OUT OF RHI. THE CREW INBOUND LET ME KNOW ABOUT SOME PRIOR MAINT ISSUES ON PREVIOUS LOG PAGES. ANTI-SKID AND FLT IDLE STOP BEING PULLED WRITTEN UP EVERY DAY. AT ONE POINT THE ANTI-SKID WAS DEFERRED (BY DOING SO YOU MAY HAVE TO PULL THE FLT IDLE STOP -- HENCE THE WRITE UPS). THE DEFERRAL WAS TO EXPIRE; BUT THE PREVIOUS NIGHT IT WAS CLEARED. BUT THE VERY NEXT FLT IT BROKE AGAIN IN THE SAME MANNER. THE ANTI-SKID CAUTION LIGHT WAS ON AFTER WE ADDED EXTERNAL POWER TO THE ACFT ON THE GND IN RHI (IT WAS A CREW CHANGE). SO I WROTE IT UP IN RHI AND WAITED FOR MAINT. MAINT ARRIVED; LOOKED AT LOGBOOK AND SAID IT WOULD BE A WHILE -- HE WAS GOING TO TROUBLESHOOT AND FIX IT. A MINUTE OR TWO LATER; MAINT CTL CALLED AND TOLD THE RHI MAINT TO DEFER IT. RHI MAINT DID SO BUT WAS NOT TOO HAPPY ABOUT IT SINCE THE LAST DEFERRAL WOULD HAVE EXPIRED AND THE SAME PROB EXISTED. I CALLED A CHIEF AND WE TALKED FOR A WHILE; AND HE SAID AS LONG AS IT IS DEFERRED AND THE PAPERWORK IS ALL GOOD; I SHOULD TAKE REVENUE FLT TO MSP. I STILL WAS NOT OK BUT AFTER TALKING IT OUT (GOOD WX; LONG DRY RWY IN MSP; DEFERRED; PAPERWORK); AND WAS TOLD BY CHIEF THAT RHI WOULD NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX ANYWAY SO JUST GET IT BACK TO MSP WHERE IT COULD BE FIXED. I WAS TOLD THE DEFERRAL WAS OK AND LEGAL AND HAS BEEN DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE; SO; JUST GET IT BACK TO MSP. I EVENTUALLY AGREED THAT IT WAS SAFE ENOUGH SO OFF TO MSP. SO WE GET BACK TO MSP NEED TO PULL THE FLT IDLE STOP ON LNDG; AND PARK AT THE GATE; AND LOOK UP AT THE SIGN AT THE GATE AND SEE FLT GOING TO ZZZ IN 18 MINUTES; MY NEXT LEG. MY THINKING IS THAT THIS PLANE WAS GOING TO THE HANGAR TO BE FIXED; BUT IT WAS NOW SCHEDULED TO GO TO ZZZ AND BACK AND THEN ZZZ1 AND BACK WITH MY CREW. SO I CALL DISPATCH; GET PATCHED TO CHIEF (CHIEF AND MAINT SUPVR. THEY ESSENTIALLY TAG TEAM ME AND TELL ME WE WILL BE TAKING FLT TO ZZZ AND BACK THEN ZZZ1 AND BACK. MY RESPONSE IS NO; GET ME ANOTHER ACFT. THEIR RESPONSE IS WE HAVE NONE; THEY ARE SHORT OF MECHANICS AND CANNOT EVEN SEND ONE WITH US TO RESET THE FLT IDLE STOP IN ZZZ OR ZZZ1; THEY'LL HAVE A CONTRACT MECHANIC THERE AT ZZZ AND ZZZ1 TO RESET THE FLT IDLE STOP. I STILL SAID NO; AND REPEATED WHAT I WAS TOLD; TO BRING IT BACK TO MSP SO IT COULD BE FIXED; AND THAT IT IS NOT NORMAL TO FLY WITHOUT ANTI-SKID AND PULLING THE FLT IDLE STOP IN EVERY LNDG; AT LEAST NOT AT MY ACR. I WAS THEN THREATENED WITH A FLT REFUSAL. I STILL INSISTED THAT THE PLANE SHOULD BE FIXED. AFTER KEEPING THEM BOTH ON THE PHONE FOR AWHILE STATING THAT NORMALLY WE WOULD BE SWAPPED AND THIS PLANE WOULD BE FIXED EXCEPT NOW WE ARE SHORT ON ACFT; MAINT; AND CREWS. FINALLY MAINT SUPVR SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANYONE IN ZZZ TO RESET THE FLT IDLE STOP ANYWAY; SO THEY WERE GOING TO SWAP US OUT AND GIVE US ANOTHER ACFT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE HAD THE ANTI-SKID SYSTEM DEFERRED FOR 5 DAYS AND WAS CLEARED AND THEN DEFERRED AGAIN. THE RPTR CONTACTED THE CHIEF PLT ABOUT THE CHRONIC ANTI-SKID SYSTEM AND WAS TOLD TO FLY THE AIRPLANE TO THE NEXT STATION WHICH WAS A MAINT STATION AND WOULD BE FIXED. THE LOGBOOK ADVISED THE CREW TO PULL THE FLT IDLE STOP ON THE GND TO GET GND IDLE FOR REVERSING; NOT A NORMAL OR APPROVED PROC. ON ARR; THE RPTR NOTED THE AIRPLANE WAS AGAIN ROUTED OUT IN 18 MINS. RPTR CONTACTED THE CHIEF PLT AND MAINT MANAGER AND AFTER SOME DISCUSSION REFUSED THE AIRPLANE. THE FLT CREW WAS SWITCHED TO ANOTHER AIRPLANE.

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.