B747-400 captain is concerned about multiple deferred maintenance items; particularly an inoperative...

Attributes
ACN	743657
Time
Date	200706
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	743657
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : weather performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

The aircraft had a long history of numerous write-ups that were deferred. Items included: right radar system inoperative; nose gear pressure switch inoperative; #3 engine eec channel 2 fault; hydraulic res pressure #3 fault; main tank #3 override pump inoperative; right outflow valve -- 'inmt.' on fpf dispatch was not notified and not aware of write-ups because they were not afpam generated. Aircraft was dispatched into severe thunderstorm area on departure route from ZZZ. Dispatch does not have ZZZ local WX radar showing severe WX on route and is using satellite map which is poor. When questioned about alternate routing to avoid thunderstorms dispatch appeared to be work overloaded and an alternate route would be too time consuming to generate. After many excuses why maintenance was not performed either at ZZZ or previous stations; we attempted to have aircraft repaired. Out station was able to locate radar part in stock but was unable to effect repairs on ramp because of heavy rain conditions and required overnight at maintenance hangar. Company's failure to repair aircraft in a timely manner for which some of these items were carried over for 10 days; put the captain in a critical situation to depart without a backup radar system into numerous thunderstorm conditions -- or reject the aircraft canceling the flight. Dispatch needs to review all maintenance item write-ups and deferred items on aircraft release -- not just afpam items. Dispatch needs uplink of ZZZ live radar which is available to crews in ZZZZ operations -- not just depending on inaccurate satellite pictures. Aircraft needs to be repaired in a timely manner; not routed to overseas airports with uncorrected and deferred defects. The captain is limited from making a safe and timely assessment of the aircraft condition in the short time available prior to the flight when the aircraft is brought in with numerous through-flight chronic write-ups that are not repaired. Unfortunately; the foregoing experience is becoming the operation's normal routine. The higher standard of quality that has been experienced in the past has degraded to a marginal safety level.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 CAPTAIN IS CONCERNED ABOUT MULTIPLE DEFERRED MAINT ITEMS; PARTICULARLY AN INOPERATIVE RADAR SYSTEM. ON THE ACFT ASSIGNED TO HIS PACIFIC CROSSING.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD A LONG HISTORY OF NUMEROUS WRITE-UPS THAT WERE DEFERRED. ITEMS INCLUDED: R RADAR SYS INOP; NOSE GEAR PRESSURE SWITCH INOP; #3 ENG EEC CHANNEL 2 FAULT; HYD RES PRESSURE #3 FAULT; MAIN TANK #3 OVERRIDE PUMP INOP; R OUTFLOW VALVE -- 'INMT.' ON FPF DISPATCH WAS NOT NOTIFIED AND NOT AWARE OF WRITE-UPS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT AFPAM GENERATED. ACFT WAS DISPATCHED INTO SEVERE TSTM AREA ON DEP RTE FROM ZZZ. DISPATCH DOES NOT HAVE ZZZ LCL WX RADAR SHOWING SEVERE WX ON RTE AND IS USING SATELLITE MAP WHICH IS POOR. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT ALTERNATE ROUTING TO AVOID TSTMS DISPATCH APPEARED TO BE WORK OVERLOADED AND AN ALTERNATE RTE WOULD BE TOO TIME CONSUMING TO GENERATE. AFTER MANY EXCUSES WHY MAINT WAS NOT PERFORMED EITHER AT ZZZ OR PREVIOUS STATIONS; WE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE ACFT REPAIRED. OUT STATION WAS ABLE TO LOCATE RADAR PART IN STOCK BUT WAS UNABLE TO EFFECT REPAIRS ON RAMP BECAUSE OF HVY RAIN CONDITIONS AND REQUIRED OVERNIGHT AT MAINT HANGAR. COMPANY'S FAILURE TO REPAIR ACFT IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR WHICH SOME OF THESE ITEMS WERE CARRIED OVER FOR 10 DAYS; PUT THE CAPT IN A CRITICAL SIT TO DEPART WITHOUT A BACKUP RADAR SYS INTO NUMEROUS TSTM CONDITIONS -- OR REJECT THE ACFT CANCELING THE FLT. DISPATCH NEEDS TO REVIEW ALL MAINT ITEM WRITE-UPS AND DEFERRED ITEMS ON ACFT RELEASE -- NOT JUST AFPAM ITEMS. DISPATCH NEEDS UPLINK OF ZZZ LIVE RADAR WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO CREWS IN ZZZZ OPS -- NOT JUST DEPENDING ON INACCURATE SATELLITE PICTURES. ACFT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED IN A TIMELY MANNER; NOT ROUTED TO OVERSEAS ARPTS WITH UNCORRECTED AND DEFERRED DEFECTS. THE CAPT IS LIMITED FROM MAKING A SAFE AND TIMELY ASSESSMENT OF THE ACFT CONDITION IN THE SHORT TIME AVAILABLE PRIOR TO THE FLT WHEN THE ACFT IS BROUGHT IN WITH NUMEROUS THROUGH-FLT CHRONIC WRITE-UPS THAT ARE NOT REPAIRED. UNFORTUNATELY; THE FOREGOING EXPERIENCE IS BECOMING THE OP'S NORMAL ROUTINE. THE HIGHER STANDARD OF QUALITY THAT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST HAS DEGRADED TO A MARGINAL SAFETY LEVEL.

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.

B747-400 captain is concerned about multiple deferred maintenance items; particularly an inoperative radar system. On the aircraft assigned to his pacific crossing.