Narrative:

My crew and I were to deadhead to cyul to operate the flight back to ZZZ. During the taxi in I noticed that there was a vibration which I attributed to a tire problem. The crew that we were taking the aircraft from didn't notice any vibration. My first officer returned from his walkaround and did not see any problems. The previous crew waited to make sure that everything was ok before going to the hotel. I called maintenance to get a possible cause for the vibration if there were no visible signs of a problem. I was given an unacceptable possible cause for the vibration by maintenance control. I asked the first officer to go back out and check again. He returned and said that there was indeed a problem. He found a large flat spot. He had missed it the first time because the plane had almost stopped on it. I went out to look and then called maintenance. Since we were in canada and we were going to be there in excess of 90 mins we had to clear customs. When we returned to the gate there was a maintenance person there. He said that maintenance control wanted us to ferry. I asked him if he would put his family on this plane; he said no. I also asked the mechanic; how many lndgs are left on this tire. He said that he felt that it had made its last one. I talked to maintenance control and was asked to ferry. I said no. He then took the phone from his ear and said to someone nearby 'he's not gonna do it.' I was then told that I have to contact my chief pilot. I asked if there was a problem and was told that it was protocol. I called scheduling and was xferred to my chief pilot. I began to tell him the situation and was fully expecting him to understand. Instead he made me feel like I was being unreasonable for not wanting to ferry. These were some of the things that he said: 'well you've got another tire there so I wouldn't have a problem with that.' 'if you cancel this it will cause us to cancel 10 more.' 'I can understand not taking revenue but I don't see a reason not to ferry.' the last one really bothers me. This went on for at least 10 mins. I feel like I was being coerced to fly an unsafe aircraft. I held my ground and told him that I will not ferry this aircraft. At no time did the chief pilot threaten me with discipline. However I felt that his attempt to get me to ferry was completely unprofessional. I have pictures of the tire and have shown it to others and all have said they would not have flown the aircraft either. If a pilot is uncomfortable with the airworthiness of an aircraft the conversation should end there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 CAPT REPORTED BEING PRESSURED BY HIS CHIEF PILOT TO FLY AN AIRCRAFT HE FELT WAS UNAIRWORTHY.

Narrative: MY CREW AND I WERE TO DEADHEAD TO CYUL TO OPERATE THE FLT BACK TO ZZZ. DURING THE TAXI IN I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A VIBRATION WHICH I ATTRIBUTED TO A TIRE PROB. THE CREW THAT WE WERE TAKING THE ACFT FROM DIDN'T NOTICE ANY VIBRATION. MY FO RETURNED FROM HIS WALKAROUND AND DID NOT SEE ANY PROBS. THE PREVIOUS CREW WAITED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK BEFORE GOING TO THE HOTEL. I CALLED MAINT TO GET A POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR THE VIBRATION IF THERE WERE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF A PROB. I WAS GIVEN AN UNACCEPTABLE POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR THE VIBRATION BY MAINT CTL. I ASKED THE FO TO GO BACK OUT AND CHK AGAIN. HE RETURNED AND SAID THAT THERE WAS INDEED A PROB. HE FOUND A LARGE FLAT SPOT. HE HAD MISSED IT THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE THE PLANE HAD ALMOST STOPPED ON IT. I WENT OUT TO LOOK AND THEN CALLED MAINT. SINCE WE WERE IN CANADA AND WE WERE GOING TO BE THERE IN EXCESS OF 90 MINS WE HAD TO CLR CUSTOMS. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE GATE THERE WAS A MAINT PERSON THERE. HE SAID THAT MAINT CTL WANTED US TO FERRY. I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD PUT HIS FAMILY ON THIS PLANE; HE SAID NO. I ALSO ASKED THE MECH; HOW MANY LNDGS ARE LEFT ON THIS TIRE. HE SAID THAT HE FELT THAT IT HAD MADE ITS LAST ONE. I TALKED TO MAINT CTL AND WAS ASKED TO FERRY. I SAID NO. HE THEN TOOK THE PHONE FROM HIS EAR AND SAID TO SOMEONE NEARBY 'HE'S NOT GONNA DO IT.' I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I HAVE TO CONTACT MY CHIEF PLT. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS PROTOCOL. I CALLED SCHEDULING AND WAS XFERRED TO MY CHIEF PLT. I BEGAN TO TELL HIM THE SITUATION AND WAS FULLY EXPECTING HIM TO UNDERSTAND. INSTEAD HE MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS BEING UNREASONABLE FOR NOT WANTING TO FERRY. THESE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE SAID: 'WELL YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER TIRE THERE SO I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROB WITH THAT.' 'IF YOU CANCEL THIS IT WILL CAUSE US TO CANCEL 10 MORE.' 'I CAN UNDERSTAND NOT TAKING REVENUE BUT I DON'T SEE A REASON NOT TO FERRY.' THE LAST ONE REALLY BOTHERS ME. THIS WENT ON FOR AT LEAST 10 MINS. I FEEL LIKE I WAS BEING COERCED TO FLY AN UNSAFE ACFT. I HELD MY GND AND TOLD HIM THAT I WILL NOT FERRY THIS ACFT. AT NO TIME DID THE CHIEF PLT THREATEN ME WITH DISCIPLINE. HOWEVER I FELT THAT HIS ATTEMPT TO GET ME TO FERRY WAS COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE TIRE AND HAVE SHOWN IT TO OTHERS AND ALL HAVE SAID THEY WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THE ACFT EITHER. IF A PLT IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS OF AN ACFT THE CONVERSATION SHOULD END THERE.

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.