Narrative:

I'm going to make this short and sweet. I'm disappointed today I did the walkaround and observed a heavy amount of oil residue around the left pack exhaust. The oil has been leaking for a while; as the build up of oil was about an inch thick and had fresh oil on top throughout the entire bottom of the fuselage. I asked a mechanic to look at the aircraft he agreed that there was a leak and called for help. 20 mins later we had 4 mechanics at the belly of the aircraft of which one was refilling the left and right reserves. They wiped off the gear doors and said they couldn't find the leak. I had to advocate that they pressurize the system as they said something about man power. I said if I had to I would refuse this aircraft if they didn't look at and try to resolve the problem. I left to communicate to the agents; people and zone the situation of the aircraft. Upon arrival the mechanics said they could not find anything however was wiping the oil off the gear doors. I spoke to the supervisor and he said he didn't see a leak. I disagreed. Understand this was not a life threatening situation nor did I see dripping oil. However I have the responsibility to communicate any or all defects to our mechanics before the flight. And that I should not leave the maintenance base until I have resolution to the problem. What I didn't like is the mechanics saying they didn't see anything. I personally think the mechanics are intimidated by the company. I overheard the mechanic saying that the company was firing people for writing up situations such as this. I finally told the mechanics that I was writing up the leak and that I would fly the aircraft if they said it was safe. However I was writing a safety report disclosing the situation. We received a new digital delivered maintenance document and verified the release before we pushed everything was correct. After I was taxiing we received another digital delivered maintenance document and it had a carried forward deferral item on the same previous write-up noting the leak. There are several problems when someone standing in front of me and looking at oil on the belly of the aircraft telling me he doesn't see anything. Then after all their 'advocation' why did they change their mind and change the digital delivered maintenance document after we blocked out and were taxiing. They made it legal to taxi but changed the digital delivered maintenance document to read about the leak after we launched. My perfect day would be not writing this report with minimum rest and going home at the end of a trip with not one thing wrong with the aircraft or my trip. This is something we just don't need however it can't be pencil whipped either. I have a problem with how they handled the problem. The duty captain was called and informed of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CAPTAIN REPORTS MAINT FAILED TO TAKE HIS CONCERNS ABOUT AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM OIL STAINS SERIOUSLY.

Narrative: I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS SHORT AND SWEET. I'M DISAPPOINTED TODAY I DID THE WALKAROUND AND OBSERVED A HVY AMOUNT OF OIL RESIDUE AROUND THE L PACK EXHAUST. THE OIL HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR A WHILE; AS THE BUILD UP OF OIL WAS ABOUT AN INCH THICK AND HAD FRESH OIL ON TOP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE. I ASKED A MECH TO LOOK AT THE ACFT HE AGREED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK AND CALLED FOR HELP. 20 MINS LATER WE HAD 4 MECHS AT THE BELLY OF THE ACFT OF WHICH ONE WAS REFILLING THE L AND R RESERVES. THEY WIPED OFF THE GEAR DOORS AND SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND THE LEAK. I HAD TO ADVOCATE THAT THEY PRESSURIZE THE SYS AS THEY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT MAN PWR. I SAID IF I HAD TO I WOULD REFUSE THIS ACFT IF THEY DIDN'T LOOK AT AND TRY TO RESOLVE THE PROB. I LEFT TO COMMUNICATE TO THE AGENTS; PEOPLE AND ZONE THE SIT OF THE ACFT. UPON ARR THE MECHS SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING HOWEVER WAS WIPING THE OIL OFF THE GEAR DOORS. I SPOKE TO THE SUPVR AND HE SAID HE DIDN'T SEE A LEAK. I DISAGREED. UNDERSTAND THIS WAS NOT A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION NOR DID I SEE DRIPPING OIL. HOWEVER I HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMUNICATE ANY OR ALL DEFECTS TO OUR MECHS BEFORE THE FLT. AND THAT I SHOULD NOT LEAVE THE MAINT BASE UNTIL I HAVE RESOLUTION TO THE PROB. WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE IS THE MECHS SAYING THEY DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. I PERSONALLY THINK THE MECHS ARE INTIMIDATED BY THE COMPANY. I OVERHEARD THE MECH SAYING THAT THE COMPANY WAS FIRING PEOPLE FOR WRITING UP SITUATIONS SUCH AS THIS. I FINALLY TOLD THE MECHS THAT I WAS WRITING UP THE LEAK AND THAT I WOULD FLY THE ACFT IF THEY SAID IT WAS SAFE. HOWEVER I WAS WRITING A SAFETY RPT DISCLOSING THE SITUATION. WE RECEIVED A NEW DIGITAL DELIVERED MAINT DOCUMENT AND VERIFIED THE RELEASE BEFORE WE PUSHED EVERYTHING WAS CORRECT. AFTER I WAS TAXIING WE RECEIVED ANOTHER DIGITAL DELIVERED MAINT DOCUMENT AND IT HAD A CARRIED FORWARD DEFERRAL ITEM ON THE SAME PREVIOUS WRITE-UP NOTING THE LEAK. THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBS WHEN SOMEONE STANDING IN FRONT OF ME AND LOOKING AT OIL ON THE BELLY OF THE ACFT TELLING ME HE DOESN'T SEE ANYTHING. THEN AFTER ALL THEIR 'ADVOCATION' WHY DID THEY CHANGE THEIR MIND AND CHANGE THE DIGITAL DELIVERED MAINT DOCUMENT AFTER WE BLOCKED OUT AND WERE TAXIING. THEY MADE IT LEGAL TO TAXI BUT CHANGED THE DIGITAL DELIVERED MAINT DOCUMENT TO READ ABOUT THE LEAK AFTER WE LAUNCHED. MY PERFECT DAY WOULD BE NOT WRITING THIS RPT WITH MINIMUM REST AND GOING HOME AT THE END OF A TRIP WITH NOT ONE THING WRONG WITH THE ACFT OR MY TRIP. THIS IS SOMETHING WE JUST DON'T NEED HOWEVER IT CAN'T BE PENCIL WHIPPED EITHER. I HAVE A PROB WITH HOW THEY HANDLED THE PROB. THE DUTY CAPT WAS CALLED AND INFORMED OF THE SITUATION.

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.