Narrative:

Aircraft X recently returned from heavy check. During the maintenance period; it underwent some significant modifications including removing and covering the eyebrow windows among others. I and my crew were the first assigned to fly the aircraft after it came out of maintenance. Aircraft existing mels: seats xx; no audio. Fixed ELT inoperative. All cabin audio except video sound inoperative; deferred; nose landing gear requires servicing each 5-10 lndgs. No logbook entry for the previous service(south). Preflight: new satcom control panel had been installed. There were no placards; instructions; information or log entries. New cannon plugs sticking up out of the outside panel of each pilot seat. No placards; no instructions; no information; no log entries. The cup holders previously mounted in the same panel were removed. Both audio communication selector panels had a decal 'satcom' over the VHF #3 position. Although the #3 VHF was on; it was unusable and would not transmit or receive. Maintenance wanted to MEL the #3 VHF rather than troubleshoot and repair the unit. As they were preparing the MEL; I began to push buttons on the control head and found one of the unlabeled switches was a selector for both satcom and #3 VHF. The unit was then available. En route: after departure and just prior to entering ETOPS airspace; the flight attendants reported that the PA system failed. All positions including flight deck were tried as well as other means to no avail. I briefed the flight attendants on the alternate communication and emergency procedures. Captain's overhead chart light inoperative. Loss of 300 pounds of total fuel indication when the center tank indicated 150 pounds. Fuel tally: +--- 0 before etp; -400 at etp; -200 after etp. During xfeed operations; with both #1 fuel pumps off; they continue to operate as indicated by a continued decrease in indicated fuel. Simultaneously; the center tank increase to 300-400 pounds in a very short time. #1 VHF failed; #2 and #3 VHF block and bleed through to each other and the intercom. Only 1 communication can be sent at a time. Either intercom or radio but not both and not 2 radios at the same time. Captain's yoke flight number indicator light inoperative. #1 VHF failed a second time after maintenance swapped #3 for #1. The wiring is faulty. On ground: PA worked on the ground for a short time; but only through the speakers in the forward and rear galleys; not the cabin. MEL the PA: alert chimes are audible on the ground but so muted they cannot be heard in-flight. Flight attendants reported that when potable water is filling from an external source; water floods the aft galley as it overflows from the coffee maker. The exterior landing lights and various cockpit lights flicker on and off when xferring electrical busses. Aircraft was just returned from scheduled maintenance and placed in revenue service with multiple MEL items and many other issues including lack of documentation and equipment modifications not presented to the crews. Supplemental information from acn 772388: arriving at the aircraft in ZZZ; the crew noticed a satcom sticker over the VHF #3 audio panel selector. There were no memos or briefing received; notifying us of the new avionics installation. VHF #3 was not working; so the maintenance crew was about to defer the #3 VHF. The flight crew troubleshot the satcom control panel and found a satcom VHF #3 selector button. The button was pushed and VHF #3 was then operational. After departure; and prior to ETOPS; the crew was notified by the flight attendants that the cabin PA system was inoperative. The cockpit PA xmissions were also found to be inoperative. The flight proceeded to ZZZ1 using alternate cabin communications procedures as stated in the fom/MEL. VHF #1 became inoperative once outside the terminal area. No transmission and no receiving of other calls. Aircraft just returned from maintenance and had items installed that were not documented in the fom or other crew available documents. Callback conversation with reporter acn 772268 revealed the following information: reporter stated he could not believe the aircraft had been released for revenue flight with the amount of communication systems not functioning; not properly marked; deferred items; open maintenance items and undocumented maintenance work. The new type megaphone installed has heavy feedback and operates erratically compared to the older; more reliable style megaphones. Reporter has safety concerns about the serious lack of maintenance oversight by his carrier at the foreign repair facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 FLIGHT CREW REPORTS ON THE NUMEROUS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS FAILURES; SATCOM AND CABIN PA EQUIP MODIFICATIONS NOT DOCUMENTED AND OPEN MAINT ITEMS AFTER HEAVY MAINT CHECK AT INTERNATIONAL REPAIR STATION.

Narrative: ACFT X RECENTLY RETURNED FROM HVY CHK. DURING THE MAINT PERIOD; IT UNDERWENT SOME SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATIONS INCLUDING REMOVING AND COVERING THE EYEBROW WINDOWS AMONG OTHERS. I AND MY CREW WERE THE FIRST ASSIGNED TO FLY THE ACFT AFTER IT CAME OUT OF MAINT. ACFT EXISTING MELS: SEATS XX; NO AUDIO. FIXED ELT INOP. ALL CABIN AUDIO EXCEPT VIDEO SOUND INOP; DEFERRED; NOSE LNDG GEAR REQUIRES SVCING EACH 5-10 LNDGS. NO LOGBOOK ENTRY FOR THE PREVIOUS SVC(S). PREFLT: NEW SATCOM CTL PANEL HAD BEEN INSTALLED. THERE WERE NO PLACARDS; INSTRUCTIONS; INFO OR LOG ENTRIES. NEW CANNON PLUGS STICKING UP OUT OF THE OUTSIDE PANEL OF EACH PLT SEAT. NO PLACARDS; NO INSTRUCTIONS; NO INFO; NO LOG ENTRIES. THE CUP HOLDERS PREVIOUSLY MOUNTED IN THE SAME PANEL WERE REMOVED. BOTH AUDIO COM SELECTOR PANELS HAD A DECAL 'SATCOM' OVER THE VHF #3 POS. ALTHOUGH THE #3 VHF WAS ON; IT WAS UNUSABLE AND WOULD NOT XMIT OR RECEIVE. MAINT WANTED TO MEL THE #3 VHF RATHER THAN TROUBLESHOOT AND REPAIR THE UNIT. AS THEY WERE PREPARING THE MEL; I BEGAN TO PUSH BUTTONS ON THE CTL HEAD AND FOUND ONE OF THE UNLABELED SWITCHES WAS A SELECTOR FOR BOTH SATCOM AND #3 VHF. THE UNIT WAS THEN AVAILABLE. ENRTE: AFTER DEP AND JUST PRIOR TO ENTERING ETOPS AIRSPACE; THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THAT THE PA SYS FAILED. ALL POSITIONS INCLUDING FLT DECK WERE TRIED AS WELL AS OTHER MEANS TO NO AVAIL. I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON THE ALTERNATE COM AND EMER PROCS. CAPT'S OVERHEAD CHART LIGHT INOP. LOSS OF 300 LBS OF TOTAL FUEL INDICATION WHEN THE CENTER TANK INDICATED 150 LBS. FUEL TALLY: +--- 0 BEFORE ETP; -400 AT ETP; -200 AFTER ETP. DURING XFEED OPS; WITH BOTH #1 FUEL PUMPS OFF; THEY CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS INDICATED BY A CONTINUED DECREASE IN INDICATED FUEL. SIMULTANEOUSLY; THE CTR TANK INCREASE TO 300-400 LBS IN A VERY SHORT TIME. #1 VHF FAILED; #2 AND #3 VHF BLOCK AND BLEED THROUGH TO EACH OTHER AND THE INTERCOM. ONLY 1 COM CAN BE SENT AT A TIME. EITHER INTERCOM OR RADIO BUT NOT BOTH AND NOT 2 RADIOS AT THE SAME TIME. CAPT'S YOKE FLT NUMBER INDICATOR LIGHT INOP. #1 VHF FAILED A SECOND TIME AFTER MAINT SWAPPED #3 FOR #1. THE WIRING IS FAULTY. ON GND: PA WORKED ON THE GND FOR A SHORT TIME; BUT ONLY THROUGH THE SPEAKERS IN THE FORWARD AND REAR GALLEYS; NOT THE CABIN. MEL THE PA: ALERT CHIMES ARE AUDIBLE ON THE GND BUT SO MUTED THEY CANNOT BE HEARD INFLT. FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THAT WHEN POTABLE WATER IS FILLING FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE; WATER FLOODS THE AFT GALLEY AS IT OVERFLOWS FROM THE COFFEE MAKER. THE EXTERIOR LNDG LIGHTS AND VARIOUS COCKPIT LIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF WHEN XFERRING ELECTRICAL BUSSES. ACFT WAS JUST RETURNED FROM SCHEDULED MAINT AND PLACED IN REVENUE SVC WITH MULTIPLE MEL ITEMS AND MANY OTHER ISSUES INCLUDING LACK OF DOCUMENTATION AND EQUIP MODIFICATIONS NOT PRESENTED TO THE CREWS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 772388: ARRIVING AT THE ACFT IN ZZZ; THE CREW NOTICED A SATCOM STICKER OVER THE VHF #3 AUDIO PANEL SELECTOR. THERE WERE NO MEMOS OR BRIEFING RECEIVED; NOTIFYING US OF THE NEW AVIONICS INSTALLATION. VHF #3 WAS NOT WORKING; SO THE MAINT CREW WAS ABOUT TO DEFER THE #3 VHF. THE FLT CREW TROUBLESHOT THE SATCOM CTL PANEL AND FOUND A SATCOM VHF #3 SELECTOR BUTTON. THE BUTTON WAS PUSHED AND VHF #3 WAS THEN OPERATIONAL. AFTER DEP; AND PRIOR TO ETOPS; THE CREW WAS NOTIFIED BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THE CABIN PA SYS WAS INOP. THE COCKPIT PA XMISSIONS WERE ALSO FOUND TO BE INOP. THE FLT PROCEEDED TO ZZZ1 USING ALTERNATE CABIN COMS PROCS AS STATED IN THE FOM/MEL. VHF #1 BECAME INOP ONCE OUTSIDE THE TERMINAL AREA. NO XMISSION AND NO RECEIVING OF OTHER CALLS. ACFT JUST RETURNED FROM MAINT AND HAD ITEMS INSTALLED THAT WERE NOT DOCUMENTED IN THE FOM OR OTHER CREW AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 772268 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THE ACFT HAD BEEN RELEASED FOR REVENUE FLIGHT WITH THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS NOT FUNCTIONING; NOT PROPERLY MARKED; DEFERRED ITEMS; OPEN MAINT ITEMS AND UNDOCUMENTED MAINT WORK. THE NEW TYPE MEGAPHONE INSTALLED HAS HEAVY FEEDBACK AND OPERATES ERRATICALLY COMPARED TO THE OLDER; MORE RELIABLE STYLE MEGAPHONES. REPORTER HAS SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT THE SERIOUS LACK OF MAINT OVERSIGHT BY HIS CARRIER AT THE FOREIGN REPAIR FACILITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.