A B-757-200 captain feels maintenance tried to get him to fly an aircraft that was unsafe. Issue of ...

Attributes
ACN	754821
Time
Date	200709
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	754821
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : briefing contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

First let me thank the ramp employee who caught the leak. I am appalled that maintenance tried to get me to fly an aircraft that was unsafe. After the left hydraulic pump was turned on; there was a rapid leak from the left wing noted by the ramp personnel. I did not notice any leaks or spills during my preflight. The aircraft had been sitting all morning with all pumps including the engine hydraulic pumps off. Maintenance was called. The mechanic informed me that the leak was within limits of X drops per min. What I have a great deal of concern is the idea that if a down line station wrote it off; then there should be no problem and the pilot should take the aircraft. The mechanic counted the drops falling from the wing not from the actual stream of drops coming out of the wing (that were more than 1 drop per second). The drops that counted had to flow from the outboard aileron to the fairing approximately 20 ft away and then drop to count as 1 drop in time. My point is; the stream of fluid coming from the wing was out of limits and maintenance procedures should be checked as to how to accurately determine an out of limit condition. Secondly; a pilot should not be pushed to take a flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B-757-200 CAPTAIN FEELS MAINT TRIED TO GET HIM TO FLY AN ACFT THAT WAS UNSAFE. ISSUE OF DETERMINING HOW MUCH HYD FLUID LEAKING FROM ACTUATOR EXCEEDS LEAK LIMITS.

Narrative: FIRST LET ME THANK THE RAMP EMPLOYEE WHO CAUGHT THE LEAK. I AM APPALLED THAT MAINT TRIED TO GET ME TO FLY AN ACFT THAT WAS UNSAFE. AFTER THE L HYD PUMP WAS TURNED ON; THERE WAS A RAPID LEAK FROM THE L WING NOTED BY THE RAMP PERSONNEL. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY LEAKS OR SPILLS DURING MY PREFLT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN SITTING ALL MORNING WITH ALL PUMPS INCLUDING THE ENG HYD PUMPS OFF. MAINT WAS CALLED. THE MECH INFORMED ME THAT THE LEAK WAS WITHIN LIMITS OF X DROPS PER MIN. WHAT I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF CONCERN IS THE IDEA THAT IF A DOWN LINE STATION WROTE IT OFF; THEN THERE SHOULD BE NO PROB AND THE PLT SHOULD TAKE THE ACFT. THE MECH COUNTED THE DROPS FALLING FROM THE WING NOT FROM THE ACTUAL STREAM OF DROPS COMING OUT OF THE WING (THAT WERE MORE THAN 1 DROP PER SECOND). THE DROPS THAT COUNTED HAD TO FLOW FROM THE OUTBOARD AILERON TO THE FAIRING APPROX 20 FT AWAY AND THEN DROP TO COUNT AS 1 DROP IN TIME. MY POINT IS; THE STREAM OF FLUID COMING FROM THE WING WAS OUT OF LIMITS AND MAINT PROCS SHOULD BE CHKED AS TO HOW TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE AN OUT OF LIMIT CONDITION. SECONDLY; A PLT SHOULD NOT BE PUSHED TO TAKE A FLT.

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.

A B-757-200 captain feels maintenance tried to get him to fly an aircraft that was unsafe. Issue of determining how much hydraulic fluid leaking from actuator exceeds leak limits.