Narrative:

We arrived and had a 40 min turn. My first officer did the walkaround. He immediately returned to the cockpit to advise me that the #1 engine was rotating; had noise emanating from it; and had hot air coming from the exhaust. We had noticed this aircraft had a similar write-up 5 days ago. Maintenance was contacted and said they would send someone right out. The mechanic checked the engine; went to the cockpit; and turned off the APU bleed. He returned to the engine and the symptoms noted earlier had stopped. 'Most likely a stuck starter valve;' he said. Another mechanic appeared in the cockpit 5 mins later and said he planned to clean the starter valve; then do an engine run at the gate to confirm starter valve function. We then ran the #1 engine while maintenance confirmed starter valve function visually. After shutting down the engine; I went down to confirm that the engine was no longer wind-milling as before. Everything seemed to operate normal. I asked the mechanic if he needed to return to the cockpit; and was told 'no.' the agent asked to shut the door; and I told her to confirm our new maintenance release would be coming over ACARS. She returned to say that it would be. We shut the door; completed our checklists; and released brakes for push; assuming our maintenance release would be coming via ACARS. After push; and before taxi; I checked the release to verify. Much to my surprise; the maintenance release showed as being the old one. I then realized that nothing had been entered in the maintenance system. My first officer immediately sent the following report; '1 engine wind-milling on arrival at gate. Egt hotter on 1 than 2 by 100 degree.' we contacted maintenance control to confirm that we needed a new maintenance release. Maintenance was contacted and said one would be on the way. The maintenance release printed at XA06Z; and we started engines and began our taxi. During a stop in our taxi; I reviewed the maintenance release more thoroughly. The action taken stated; 'action: ok -- wind-milling normal.' we immediately pulled out of the taxi line to reconcile this obvious error. The wind-milling was not normal. It was because of a stuck starter valve. No mention of maintenance action on the aircraft was present. After a conference call with maintenance control and station maintenance; station maintenance stated that 'the item was updated.' I asked for a new maintenance release to be sent. Station maintenance stated they would do so. Meanwhile; the station maintenance controller was complaining to maintenance control; that they 'should not take this delay. We were finished with the aircraft on schedule.' I personally don't think the maintenance release was legal; and station maintenance is worried about who takes the delay? The next maintenance release printed at XA25Z and stated '1 engine wind-milling on arrival at gate. Egt hotter on 1 than 2 by 100 degree; found start valve cracked open' 'action ok -- wind-milling normal; cleaned cannon plug on start valve. Ran the engine on the gate; operations checked good.' my issue here is; yes we forgot to enter the item into the maintenance system before push. We did remember before taxi. Yet; the new maintenance release sent to us had absolutely no mention of the problem with the airplane; or corrective actions done to sign it off. The wind-milling was certainly not 'normal.' had I not caught this; it would have stayed that way in the history and no mention of the actual problem or corrective action would have ever been documented. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he feels the maintenance group is stretched so thin on the line maintenance side and the overall attitude of trying to deal with more issues and less personnel to correct maintenance discrepancies has impacted the maintenance group. Reporter also mentions this environment speaks more of his carrier's continuing pressures to do more with less; including the dispatch group that handle the maintenance releases.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 CAPTAIN EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT HIS STRUGGLE TO DOCUMENT THE ACTUAL PROBLEM AND CORRECTIVE ACTION ON THE ACFT MAINT RELEASE.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED AND HAD A 40 MIN TURN. MY FO DID THE WALKAROUND. HE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO ADVISE ME THAT THE #1 ENG WAS ROTATING; HAD NOISE EMANATING FROM IT; AND HAD HOT AIR COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. WE HAD NOTICED THIS ACFT HAD A SIMILAR WRITE-UP 5 DAYS AGO. MAINT WAS CONTACTED AND SAID THEY WOULD SEND SOMEONE RIGHT OUT. THE MECH CHKED THE ENG; WENT TO THE COCKPIT; AND TURNED OFF THE APU BLEED. HE RETURNED TO THE ENG AND THE SYMPTOMS NOTED EARLIER HAD STOPPED. 'MOST LIKELY A STUCK STARTER VALVE;' HE SAID. ANOTHER MECH APPEARED IN THE COCKPIT 5 MINS LATER AND SAID HE PLANNED TO CLEAN THE STARTER VALVE; THEN DO AN ENG RUN AT THE GATE TO CONFIRM STARTER VALVE FUNCTION. WE THEN RAN THE #1 ENG WHILE MAINT CONFIRMED STARTER VALVE FUNCTION VISUALLY. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG; I WENT DOWN TO CONFIRM THAT THE ENG WAS NO LONGER WIND-MILLING AS BEFORE. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMAL. I ASKED THE MECH IF HE NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE COCKPIT; AND WAS TOLD 'NO.' THE AGENT ASKED TO SHUT THE DOOR; AND I TOLD HER TO CONFIRM OUR NEW MAINT RELEASE WOULD BE COMING OVER ACARS. SHE RETURNED TO SAY THAT IT WOULD BE. WE SHUT THE DOOR; COMPLETED OUR CHKLISTS; AND RELEASED BRAKES FOR PUSH; ASSUMING OUR MAINT RELEASE WOULD BE COMING VIA ACARS. AFTER PUSH; AND BEFORE TAXI; I CHKED THE RELEASE TO VERIFY. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE; THE MAINT RELEASE SHOWED AS BEING THE OLD ONE. I THEN REALIZED THAT NOTHING HAD BEEN ENTERED IN THE MAINT SYS. MY FO IMMEDIATELY SENT THE FOLLOWING RPT; '1 ENG WIND-MILLING ON ARR AT GATE. EGT HOTTER ON 1 THAN 2 BY 100 DEG.' WE CONTACTED MAINT CTL TO CONFIRM THAT WE NEEDED A NEW MAINT RELEASE. MAINT WAS CONTACTED AND SAID ONE WOULD BE ON THE WAY. THE MAINT RELEASE PRINTED AT XA06Z; AND WE STARTED ENGS AND BEGAN OUR TAXI. DURING A STOP IN OUR TAXI; I REVIEWED THE MAINT RELEASE MORE THOROUGHLY. THE ACTION TAKEN STATED; 'ACTION: OK -- WIND-MILLING NORMAL.' WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OUT OF THE TAXI LINE TO RECONCILE THIS OBVIOUS ERROR. THE WIND-MILLING WAS NOT NORMAL. IT WAS BECAUSE OF A STUCK STARTER VALVE. NO MENTION OF MAINT ACTION ON THE ACFT WAS PRESENT. AFTER A CONFERENCE CALL WITH MAINT CTL AND STATION MAINT; STATION MAINT STATED THAT 'THE ITEM WAS UPDATED.' I ASKED FOR A NEW MAINT RELEASE TO BE SENT. STATION MAINT STATED THEY WOULD DO SO. MEANWHILE; THE STATION MAINT CTLR WAS COMPLAINING TO MAINT CTL; THAT THEY 'SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS DELAY. WE WERE FINISHED WITH THE ACFT ON SCHEDULE.' I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK THE MAINT RELEASE WAS LEGAL; AND STATION MAINT IS WORRIED ABOUT WHO TAKES THE DELAY? THE NEXT MAINT RELEASE PRINTED AT XA25Z AND STATED '1 ENG WIND-MILLING ON ARR AT GATE. EGT HOTTER ON 1 THAN 2 BY 100 DEG; FOUND START VALVE CRACKED OPEN' 'ACTION OK -- WIND-MILLING NORMAL; CLEANED CANNON PLUG ON START VALVE. RAN THE ENG ON THE GATE; OPS CHKED GOOD.' MY ISSUE HERE IS; YES WE FORGOT TO ENTER THE ITEM INTO THE MAINT SYS BEFORE PUSH. WE DID REMEMBER BEFORE TAXI. YET; THE NEW MAINT RELEASE SENT TO US HAD ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION OF THE PROB WITH THE AIRPLANE; OR CORRECTIVE ACTIONS DONE TO SIGN IT OFF. THE WIND-MILLING WAS CERTAINLY NOT 'NORMAL.' HAD I NOT CAUGHT THIS; IT WOULD HAVE STAYED THAT WAY IN THE HISTORY AND NO MENTION OF THE ACTUAL PROB OR CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD HAVE EVER BEEN DOCUMENTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE FEELS THE MAINT GROUP IS STRETCHED SO THIN ON THE LINE MAINT SIDE AND THE OVERALL ATTITUDE OF TRYING TO DEAL WITH MORE ISSUES AND LESS PERSONNEL TO CORRECT MAINT DISCREPANCIES HAS IMPACTED THE MAINT GROUP. REPORTER ALSO MENTIONS THIS ENVIRONMENT SPEAKS MORE OF HIS CARRIER'S CONTINUING PRESSURES TO DO MORE WITH LESS; INCLUDING THE DISPATCH GROUP THAT HANDLE THE MAINT RELEASES.

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.