Narrative:

On walk around I discovered a large fluid leak (approximately 1 gal of fluid spill; 3 ft X 4 ft) on #2 aft part of engine (nowhere near drains). Maintenance control was alerted and contract maintenance was dispatched. Contract maintenance determined fluid leak was first fuel; then after some time it was oil. After 3 hours and 2 engine runs later contract maintenance signed aircraft off without determining source of leak. During this time numerous conversations were had with maintenance control. They went like this. 'Fluid leaking out of the engine is normal. It is not uncommon to have a high volume of fluid leak after servicing.' aircraft svced almost 2 days prior. Maintenance control would not allow us to perform high N1 engine run or reverser cycling. Aircraft signed off and returned to airworthy condition with the blessing of maintenance control. On walk around to make sure our highly qualified and trained contract maintenance in las secured everything I discovered additional fluid pouring out of #2 engine cowl. I went and got a different contract maintenance who was working on a broken 'md' next gate over. He took one look and said you are not going anywhere. It was discovered that the thrust reverser actuator had failed and the fluid was skydrol. It would have emptied the system if allowed to fly. Maintenance control was again contacted by the new contract maintenance and their first course of action was to MEL the #2 reverser. The contact mechanic had to explain that would not fix anything because of the actuator fluid leak. 9 hours later the flight was canceled. At first due to crew fatigue but later changed to maintenance cancellation. Maintenance needs to listen to a highly experienced flight crew (total time in B737 combined between captain and first officer 17000 hours) telling real time events and descriptions. Do not push flight crews to take aircraft that are not airworthy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 FLT CREW REQUIRES 9 HRS AND 2 SEPARATE CONTRACT MAINT TECHNICIANS TO CONVINCE REMOTE COMPANY MAINT CTLR THAT THE SOURCE OF A LARGE QUANTITY OF FLUID BELOW THE R ENG -- ULTIMATELY DETERMINED TO BE HYD FLUID FROM A BROKEN REVERSER ACTUATOR -- SHOULD BE FIXED BEFORE FLT.

Narrative: ON WALK AROUND I DISCOVERED A LARGE FLUID LEAK (APPROX 1 GAL OF FLUID SPILL; 3 FT X 4 FT) ON #2 AFT PART OF ENG (NOWHERE NEAR DRAINS). MAINT CTL WAS ALERTED AND CONTRACT MAINT WAS DISPATCHED. CONTRACT MAINT DETERMINED FLUID LEAK WAS FIRST FUEL; THEN AFTER SOME TIME IT WAS OIL. AFTER 3 HRS AND 2 ENG RUNS LATER CONTRACT MAINT SIGNED ACFT OFF WITHOUT DETERMINING SOURCE OF LEAK. DURING THIS TIME NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS WERE HAD WITH MAINT CTL. THEY WENT LIKE THIS. 'FLUID LEAKING OUT OF THE ENG IS NORMAL. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE A HIGH VOLUME OF FLUID LEAK AFTER SVCING.' ACFT SVCED ALMOST 2 DAYS PRIOR. MAINT CTL WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO PERFORM HIGH N1 ENG RUN OR REVERSER CYCLING. ACFT SIGNED OFF AND RETURNED TO AIRWORTHY CONDITION WITH THE BLESSING OF MAINT CTL. ON WALK AROUND TO MAKE SURE OUR HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND TRAINED CONTRACT MAINT IN LAS SECURED EVERYTHING I DISCOVERED ADDITIONAL FLUID POURING OUT OF #2 ENG COWL. I WENT AND GOT A DIFFERENT CONTRACT MAINT WHO WAS WORKING ON A BROKEN 'MD' NEXT GATE OVER. HE TOOK ONE LOOK AND SAID YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE THRUST REVERSER ACTUATOR HAD FAILED AND THE FLUID WAS SKYDROL. IT WOULD HAVE EMPTIED THE SYS IF ALLOWED TO FLY. MAINT CTL WAS AGAIN CONTACTED BY THE NEW CONTRACT MAINT AND THEIR FIRST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO MEL THE #2 REVERSER. THE CONTACT MECH HAD TO EXPLAIN THAT WOULD NOT FIX ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE ACTUATOR FLUID LEAK. 9 HRS LATER THE FLT WAS CANCELED. AT FIRST DUE TO CREW FATIGUE BUT LATER CHANGED TO MAINT CANCELLATION. MAINT NEEDS TO LISTEN TO A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED FLT CREW (TOTAL TIME IN B737 COMBINED BTWN CAPT AND FO 17000 HRS) TELLING REAL TIME EVENTS AND DESCRIPTIONS. DO NOT PUSH FLT CREWS TO TAKE ACFT THAT ARE NOT AIRWORTHY.

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.