Narrative:

On walkaround I found fluid dripping from the right engine cowling (approximately 50 drops/min). I entered the write-up into ACARS and advised maintenance via radio. Soon a mechanic came into the cockpit and said they suspected a thrust reverser actuator leak and cycled the right thrust reverser 3 times. He left to go back down to the ramp. At this point; cs closed the door without notifying the pilots. We requested they bring the jetbridge back so I could talk to maintenance on the ramp. When I got to the ramp the mechanics were gone; the cowling was closed and ready for flight; but the fluid was still dripping. I got to the cockpit and the captain showed me the mrd that stated the leak was gone and the write-up was signed off. I called maintenance and told them to come back to the plane for another look. The captain went to the ramp to take a look. A couple of mins later a mechanic called on the interphone and started giving me a hard time about not writing the leak up. He had a very disrespectful attitude. I told him it was written up twice and got an argument and more attitude in return. I asked if they were going to talk to us about the write-up and he said 'no.' he said they were going to defer it. I asked if they planned to talk to us about the deferral. Again he said 'no; it's a legal deferral; were going to defer it; and you're going to take it...unless you want to come down here and check on it again.' the last part was heavy on sarcasm. I said that I was coming down and he said 'well I'm going to get some tools so I won't be here.' when I got to the ramp; the captain was by the engine with a different mechanic who had opened the trust reverser actuator panel and checked for a leak. They both counted 48 and 50 drops per min respectively. The captain was completely unaware of the exchange I had with the other mechanic (who was nowhere to be found). The airplane was taken OTS due to the leak. I attempted to speak with a maintenance supervisor about the incident but couldn't get together with one. I had to leave after 15 mins to prep the replacement airplane. Later spoke with a mechanic and relayed that I was going to write the incident up and to remember the name of the mechanics who worked the plane -- especially the one who talked to me on the interphone. I believe that the mechanics knew the leak was still there and signed the write-up off anyway. The mechanic I spoke to was upset that I went back down to the ramp to check on the engine and was completely unprofessional and disrespectful. He needs a lesson on who decides whether the airplane will be dispatched with a write-up. I feel that the actions of maintenance willfully put the airplane; the crew; and the passenger in danger by signing off the leak when even a cursory examination revealed that it was still leaking out of limits! I am more than upset about this as you can imagine. If it was a mistake/oversight; it was a huge one and must be looked into and dealt with seriously. I request that you respond to me and let me know what actions or investigations are being undertaken to find out exactly what happened. As a side note; the mechanic I spoke to later told me that the leak was well out of limits. He also told me that they were having computer problems and the write-ups I was entering into ACARS were not being sent to the maintenance system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FIRST OFFICER REPORTS MAINTENANCE FAILED TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO LEAKING FLUIDS FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE DURING WALKAROUND. BELIEVES MAINTENANCE SIGNED OFF THE WRITE-UP WITHOUT PERFORMING NECESSARY INSPECTIONS AND REPAIRS.

Narrative: ON WALKAROUND I FOUND FLUID DRIPPING FROM THE R ENG COWLING (APPROX 50 DROPS/MIN). I ENTERED THE WRITE-UP INTO ACARS AND ADVISED MAINT VIA RADIO. SOON A MECH CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND SAID THEY SUSPECTED A THRUST REVERSER ACTUATOR LEAK AND CYCLED THE R THRUST REVERSER 3 TIMES. HE LEFT TO GO BACK DOWN TO THE RAMP. AT THIS POINT; CS CLOSED THE DOOR WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE PLTS. WE REQUESTED THEY BRING THE JETBRIDGE BACK SO I COULD TALK TO MAINT ON THE RAMP. WHEN I GOT TO THE RAMP THE MECHS WERE GONE; THE COWLING WAS CLOSED AND READY FOR FLT; BUT THE FLUID WAS STILL DRIPPING. I GOT TO THE COCKPIT AND THE CAPT SHOWED ME THE MRD THAT STATED THE LEAK WAS GONE AND THE WRITE-UP WAS SIGNED OFF. I CALLED MAINT AND TOLD THEM TO COME BACK TO THE PLANE FOR ANOTHER LOOK. THE CAPT WENT TO THE RAMP TO TAKE A LOOK. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER A MECH CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE AND STARTED GIVING ME A HARD TIME ABOUT NOT WRITING THE LEAK UP. HE HAD A VERY DISRESPECTFUL ATTITUDE. I TOLD HIM IT WAS WRITTEN UP TWICE AND GOT AN ARGUMENT AND MORE ATTITUDE IN RETURN. I ASKED IF THEY WERE GOING TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE WRITE-UP AND HE SAID 'NO.' HE SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DEFER IT. I ASKED IF THEY PLANNED TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE DEFERRAL. AGAIN HE SAID 'NO; IT'S A LEGAL DEFERRAL; WERE GOING TO DEFER IT; AND YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE IT...UNLESS YOU WANT TO COME DOWN HERE AND CHK ON IT AGAIN.' THE LAST PART WAS HVY ON SARCASM. I SAID THAT I WAS COMING DOWN AND HE SAID 'WELL I'M GOING TO GET SOME TOOLS SO I WON'T BE HERE.' WHEN I GOT TO THE RAMP; THE CAPT WAS BY THE ENG WITH A DIFFERENT MECH WHO HAD OPENED THE TRUST REVERSER ACTUATOR PANEL AND CHKED FOR A LEAK. THEY BOTH COUNTED 48 AND 50 DROPS PER MIN RESPECTIVELY. THE CAPT WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE EXCHANGE I HAD WITH THE OTHER MECH (WHO WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND). THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN OTS DUE TO THE LEAK. I ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK WITH A MAINT SUPVR ABOUT THE INCIDENT BUT COULDN'T GET TOGETHER WITH ONE. I HAD TO LEAVE AFTER 15 MINS TO PREP THE REPLACEMENT AIRPLANE. LATER SPOKE WITH A MECH AND RELAYED THAT I WAS GOING TO WRITE THE INCIDENT UP AND TO REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE MECHS WHO WORKED THE PLANE -- ESPECIALLY THE ONE WHO TALKED TO ME ON THE INTERPHONE. I BELIEVE THAT THE MECHS KNEW THE LEAK WAS STILL THERE AND SIGNED THE WRITE-UP OFF ANYWAY. THE MECH I SPOKE TO WAS UPSET THAT I WENT BACK DOWN TO THE RAMP TO CHK ON THE ENG AND WAS COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL AND DISRESPECTFUL. HE NEEDS A LESSON ON WHO DECIDES WHETHER THE AIRPLANE WILL BE DISPATCHED WITH A WRITE-UP. I FEEL THAT THE ACTIONS OF MAINT WILLFULLY PUT THE AIRPLANE; THE CREW; AND THE PAX IN DANGER BY SIGNING OFF THE LEAK WHEN EVEN A CURSORY EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT IT WAS STILL LEAKING OUT OF LIMITS! I AM MORE THAN UPSET ABOUT THIS AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. IF IT WAS A MISTAKE/OVERSIGHT; IT WAS A HUGE ONE AND MUST BE LOOKED INTO AND DEALT WITH SERIOUSLY. I REQUEST THAT YOU RESPOND TO ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT ACTIONS OR INVESTIGATIONS ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. AS A SIDE NOTE; THE MECH I SPOKE TO LATER TOLD ME THAT THE LEAK WAS WELL OUT OF LIMITS. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE HAVING COMPUTER PROBS AND THE WRITE-UPS I WAS ENTERING INTO ACARS WERE NOT BEING SENT TO THE MAINT SYS.

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.