Narrative:

Aircraft had been at hangar since 3 days prior for replacement of main rudder power pack. Finally brought to gate; the maintenance/taxi crew got off; said to myself and the first officer; 'it has a bad brake pressure gauge; we put a temporary placard on it; a line guy will come and put a permanent placard on it; but you're good to go otherwise.' not true; this airplane was brought to the gate with 2 unflyable conditions and one minor item -- but none was noticed; confirmed nor expressed to us other than the 'gauge.' when we finally got in the cockpit; to begin our preparation; the pressure gauge was reading approximately 800 psi; the APU 'maintenance' blue light was clearly illuminated; and the 'B' system hydraulic quantity clearly showed 63% RF indication. This is under no circumstances acceptable to attempt to return an aircraft to service in this unairworthy condition; and release it for flight to a flight crew for passenger service; period. I know of several others that would agree with this assessment if they were to be informed of these types of situations that are occurring with more common frequency at air carrier. Thanks; entirely; to the line maintenance crew that showed up to straighten this mess out; they found that the actual accumulator was bad and was replaced; along with refilling 'B' system and fixing the APU light. On climb out from ZZZ I attempted to select an autoplt on; and none would engage in any mode the entire flight. This is 1 of 3 serious situations of this unsatisfactory nature that I have been involved in and documented; since mar/xa/06. This type of situation puts this entire corporation; and all of us and our passenger at the severest risk possible. How long are we going to be able to operate in this manner without it catching up to us? I submit this in the sincere and naive hope that measures be taken to fix this airline; at all levels; to prevent a disaster from occurring.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT RPTS RECEIVING ACFT THAT HAD BEEN IN THE MAINT HANGAR FOR 3 DAYS; AND WAS STILL NOT AIRWORTHY.

Narrative: ACFT HAD BEEN AT HANGAR SINCE 3 DAYS PRIOR FOR REPLACEMENT OF MAIN RUDDER PWR PACK. FINALLY BROUGHT TO GATE; THE MAINT/TAXI CREW GOT OFF; SAID TO MYSELF AND THE FO; 'IT HAS A BAD BRAKE PRESSURE GAUGE; WE PUT A TEMPORARY PLACARD ON IT; A LINE GUY WILL COME AND PUT A PERMANENT PLACARD ON IT; BUT YOU'RE GOOD TO GO OTHERWISE.' NOT TRUE; THIS AIRPLANE WAS BROUGHT TO THE GATE WITH 2 UNFLYABLE CONDITIONS AND ONE MINOR ITEM -- BUT NONE WAS NOTICED; CONFIRMED NOR EXPRESSED TO US OTHER THAN THE 'GAUGE.' WHEN WE FINALLY GOT IN THE COCKPIT; TO BEGIN OUR PREPARATION; THE PRESSURE GAUGE WAS READING APPROX 800 PSI; THE APU 'MAINT' BLUE LIGHT WAS CLRLY ILLUMINATED; AND THE 'B' SYS HYD QUANTITY CLRLY SHOWED 63% RF INDICATION. THIS IS UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ACCEPTABLE TO ATTEMPT TO RETURN AN ACFT TO SVC IN THIS UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION; AND RELEASE IT FOR FLT TO A FLT CREW FOR PAX SVC; PERIOD. I KNOW OF SEVERAL OTHERS THAT WOULD AGREE WITH THIS ASSESSMENT IF THEY WERE TO BE INFORMED OF THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS THAT ARE OCCURRING WITH MORE COMMON FREQ AT ACR. THANKS; ENTIRELY; TO THE LINE MAINT CREW THAT SHOWED UP TO STRAIGHTEN THIS MESS OUT; THEY FOUND THAT THE ACTUAL ACCUMULATOR WAS BAD AND WAS REPLACED; ALONG WITH REFILLING 'B' SYS AND FIXING THE APU LIGHT. ON CLBOUT FROM ZZZ I ATTEMPTED TO SELECT AN AUTOPLT ON; AND NONE WOULD ENGAGE IN ANY MODE THE ENTIRE FLT. THIS IS 1 OF 3 SERIOUS SITUATIONS OF THIS UNSATISFACTORY NATURE THAT I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AND DOCUMENTED; SINCE MAR/XA/06. THIS TYPE OF SITUATION PUTS THIS ENTIRE CORPORATION; AND ALL OF US AND OUR PAX AT THE SEVEREST RISK POSSIBLE. HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE IN THIS MANNER WITHOUT IT CATCHING UP TO US? I SUBMIT THIS IN THE SINCERE AND NAIVE HOPE THAT MEASURES BE TAKEN TO FIX THIS AIRLINE; AT ALL LEVELS; TO PREVENT A DISASTER FROM OCCURRING.

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.