A B737-400 captain reports on the confusing deferred item on the cargo container hold down locks. In...

Attributes
ACN	715738
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : orl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
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
ASRS Report	715738
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel 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
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Environmental Factor Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance
Situations
Publication	Minimum Equipment List

Narrative:

We reported for the flight the early morning freighter to ZZZ. Captain and first officer brought the aircraft in from ZZZ via ZZZ1. The captain asked me if I was aware that pallet position #2 was not usable for small igloos. I told him that nobody had said anything about it to me. He then informed me that there was a write-up in the maintenance logbook that stated that (he seen this in ZZZ prior to taking the aircraft) position #2 was to be empty; but in a note it stated that there was to be no small igloos in that position. In order to get a complete understanding of the write-up (can a full size igloo be loaded or not?) he contacted maintenance control. He was told that one of the r-hand cargo hold down locks was broken and that he could not carry a small size igloo; but a large size could be carried. The captain then stated that he asked maintenance control to pass this information to down-line stations; so that they would be prepared; and to also advise the crew in ZZZ2 (us) of this. Upon arrival in ZZZ1 he was met by cargo and he asked them if they had been advised of this issue. They stated that they had not; and that they planned to us that position for a small igloo. Changes had to be made of course. Upon arrival in ZZZ2 the issue was presented to us; the new flight crew. I went back to look at the broken clamp and seen that maintenance had indeed used nylon tie-wraps to cinch the damaged hold-down clamp to the floor indicating that it could not be used. I then looked at the aircraft logbook and verified the entry about the clamp. I then went aft and conducted a full inspection of all of the clamps throughout the aircraft and also found that the first pallet position on the right side also had a broken hold-down clamp. The aircraft did in fact have a small igloo in that position when it came in from ZZZ1. I made a logbook entry about my finding and notified ZZZ2 maintenance. The duty mechanic came out and looked at the write-up; as well as the previous one; then looked at the previously damaged cargo hold-down clamp; and then I showed him the one that I found in the first pallet position. He agreed that it was broken the same as the position #2 clamp; and that he would have to contact maintenance control. We advised ZZZ2 cargo that the position would not be able to be used for a small igloo; which they were planning to load; which caused them to change their loading plans. I then talked with the cargo lead; and showed this to him. He stated that the hold-down clamp that I had just found broken; had been seen by him during the first 2 weeks of the freighter operation and that he had reported it at that time; and also that he was very surprised to find that it had not been repaired/replaced. I find it hard to believe that this issue has gone this long with no one seeing it and getting it replaced. How many times has a small igloo been put in the position with defective hold down clamps in use.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 CAPT RPTS ON THE CONFUSING DEFERRED ITEM ON THE CARGO CONTAINER HOLD DOWN LOCKS. INSPECTION REVEALED AN ADDITIONAL CARGO HOLD DOWN LOCK BROKEN AND NOT DEFERRED.

Narrative: WE RPTED FOR THE FLT THE EARLY MORNING FREIGHTER TO ZZZ. CAPT AND FO BROUGHT THE ACFT IN FROM ZZZ VIA ZZZ1. THE CAPT ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE THAT PALLET POS #2 WAS NOT USABLE FOR SMALL IGLOOS. I TOLD HIM THAT NOBODY HAD SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT TO ME. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A WRITE-UP IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK THAT STATED THAT (HE SEEN THIS IN ZZZ PRIOR TO TAKING THE ACFT) POS #2 WAS TO BE EMPTY; BUT IN A NOTE IT STATED THAT THERE WAS TO BE NO SMALL IGLOOS IN THAT POS. IN ORDER TO GET A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WRITE-UP (CAN A FULL SIZE IGLOO BE LOADED OR NOT?) HE CONTACTED MAINT CTL. HE WAS TOLD THAT ONE OF THE R-HAND CARGO HOLD DOWN LOCKS WAS BROKEN AND THAT HE COULD NOT CARRY A SMALL SIZE IGLOO; BUT A LARGE SIZE COULD BE CARRIED. THE CAPT THEN STATED THAT HE ASKED MAINT CTL TO PASS THIS INFO TO DOWN-LINE STATIONS; SO THAT THEY WOULD BE PREPARED; AND TO ALSO ADVISE THE CREW IN ZZZ2 (US) OF THIS. UPON ARR IN ZZZ1 HE WAS MET BY CARGO AND HE ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD BEEN ADVISED OF THIS ISSUE. THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD NOT; AND THAT THEY PLANNED TO US THAT POS FOR A SMALL IGLOO. CHANGES HAD TO BE MADE OF COURSE. UPON ARR IN ZZZ2 THE ISSUE WAS PRESENTED TO US; THE NEW FLT CREW. I WENT BACK TO LOOK AT THE BROKEN CLAMP AND SEEN THAT MAINT HAD INDEED USED NYLON TIE-WRAPS TO CINCH THE DAMAGED HOLD-DOWN CLAMP TO THE FLOOR INDICATING THAT IT COULD NOT BE USED. I THEN LOOKED AT THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND VERIFIED THE ENTRY ABOUT THE CLAMP. I THEN WENT AFT AND CONDUCTED A FULL INSPECTION OF ALL OF THE CLAMPS THROUGHOUT THE ACFT AND ALSO FOUND THAT THE FIRST PALLET POS ON THE R SIDE ALSO HAD A BROKEN HOLD-DOWN CLAMP. THE ACFT DID IN FACT HAVE A SMALL IGLOO IN THAT POS WHEN IT CAME IN FROM ZZZ1. I MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY ABOUT MY FINDING AND NOTIFIED ZZZ2 MAINT. THE DUTY MECH CAME OUT AND LOOKED AT THE WRITE-UP; AS WELL AS THE PREVIOUS ONE; THEN LOOKED AT THE PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED CARGO HOLD-DOWN CLAMP; AND THEN I SHOWED HIM THE ONE THAT I FOUND IN THE FIRST PALLET POS. HE AGREED THAT IT WAS BROKEN THE SAME AS THE POS #2 CLAMP; AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT MAINT CTL. WE ADVISED ZZZ2 CARGO THAT THE POS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE USED FOR A SMALL IGLOO; WHICH THEY WERE PLANNING TO LOAD; WHICH CAUSED THEM TO CHANGE THEIR LOADING PLANS. I THEN TALKED WITH THE CARGO LEAD; AND SHOWED THIS TO HIM. HE STATED THAT THE HOLD-DOWN CLAMP THAT I HAD JUST FOUND BROKEN; HAD BEEN SEEN BY HIM DURING THE FIRST 2 WKS OF THE FREIGHTER OP AND THAT HE HAD RPTED IT AT THAT TIME; AND ALSO THAT HE WAS VERY SURPRISED TO FIND THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED/REPLACED. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS ISSUE HAS GONE THIS LONG WITH NO ONE SEEING IT AND GETTING IT REPLACED. HOW MANY TIMES HAS A SMALL IGLOO BEEN PUT IN THE POS WITH DEFECTIVE HOLD DOWN CLAMPS IN USE.

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.

A B737-400 captain reports on the confusing deferred item on the cargo container hold down locks. Inspection revealed an additional cargo hold down lock broken and not deferred.