A B737 pilot reports that his air carrier's maintenance performance concerns him because obvious err...

Narrative:

While preflting airplane; first officer noticed an excessive amount of oil on #1 engine nacelle. An entry was made in the maintenance log and maintenance was contacted. I noticed there was already an entry in the logbook for an oil leak on the #1 engine associated with a leak on the #1 CSD. This had been previously signed off and now it appeared to be leaking again. Maintenance inspected the airplane and requested that we perform an engine run at the gate on the #1 engine so they could determine the severity of the leak on the #1 CSD. After the engine run was completed; the logbook was signed off and we taxied to the runway for departure. Just prior to reaching the end of the runway; we received a call from our flight attendants indicating that a passenger seated in the main cabin noticed there was an unsecured latch on the #1 engine nacelle. We returned to the gate; made an entry in the maintenance log; and the latch was secured and we departed. I am concerned that this event occurred. According to my understanding; the plane was ferried in from another airport at approximately XA30. The plane wasn't even scheduled to depart for approximately 5 hours. In that time frame; I'm very surprised that maintenance did not perform a walkaround inspection on the airplane while it was on the ground for over 5 hours. I'm also very concerned as to how the latch on the #1 nacelle was left unsecured considering that the mechanic who came out to perform the work was what I would consider one of our better mechanics. It appears to me that operational pressures and possibly understaffing in the maintenance department are leading to us cutting corners and skipping important matters that we should be catching. Maintenance should have performed a walkaround inspection on the plane while it was on the ground for over 5 hours between flts. Also; more care should be taken in closing and securing all latches on engine nacelles after performing maintenance on an airplane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 PILOT REPORTS THAT HIS ACR'S MAINT PERFORMANCE CONCERNS HIM BECAUSE OBVIOUS ERRORS MAY INDICATE OPERATIONAL PRESSURE; STAFFING PROBLEMS; AND CUTTING CORNERS.

Narrative: WHILE PREFLTING AIRPLANE; FO NOTICED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL ON #1 ENG NACELLE. AN ENTRY WAS MADE IN THE MAINT LOG AND MAINT WAS CONTACTED. I NOTICED THERE WAS ALREADY AN ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOK FOR AN OIL LEAK ON THE #1 ENG ASSOCIATED WITH A LEAK ON THE #1 CSD. THIS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY SIGNED OFF AND NOW IT APPEARED TO BE LEAKING AGAIN. MAINT INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AND REQUESTED THAT WE PERFORM AN ENG RUN AT THE GATE ON THE #1 ENG SO THEY COULD DETERMINE THE SEVERITY OF THE LEAK ON THE #1 CSD. AFTER THE ENG RUN WAS COMPLETED; THE LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED OFF AND WE TAXIED TO THE RWY FOR DEP. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THE END OF THE RWY; WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR FLT ATTENDANTS INDICATING THAT A PAX SEATED IN THE MAIN CABIN NOTICED THERE WAS AN UNSECURED LATCH ON THE #1 ENG NACELLE. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE; MADE AN ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOG; AND THE LATCH WAS SECURED AND WE DEPARTED. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS EVENT OCCURRED. ACCORDING TO MY UNDERSTANDING; THE PLANE WAS FERRIED IN FROM ANOTHER ARPT AT APPROX XA30. THE PLANE WASN'T EVEN SCHEDULED TO DEPART FOR APPROX 5 HRS. IN THAT TIME FRAME; I'M VERY SURPRISED THAT MAINT DID NOT PERFORM A WALKAROUND INSPECTION ON THE AIRPLANE WHILE IT WAS ON THE GND FOR OVER 5 HRS. I'M ALSO VERY CONCERNED AS TO HOW THE LATCH ON THE #1 NACELLE WAS LEFT UNSECURED CONSIDERING THAT THE MECH WHO CAME OUT TO PERFORM THE WORK WAS WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER ONE OF OUR BETTER MECHS. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT OPERATIONAL PRESSURES AND POSSIBLY UNDERSTAFFING IN THE MAINT DEPT ARE LEADING TO US CUTTING CORNERS AND SKIPPING IMPORTANT MATTERS THAT WE SHOULD BE CATCHING. MAINT SHOULD HAVE PERFORMED A WALKAROUND INSPECTION ON THE PLANE WHILE IT WAS ON THE GND FOR OVER 5 HRS BTWN FLTS. ALSO; MORE CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN IN CLOSING AND SECURING ALL LATCHES ON ENG NACELLES AFTER PERFORMING MAINT ON AN AIRPLANE.

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.

Attributes
ACN	774307
Time
Date	200802
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time type : 9500
ASRS Report	774307
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

A B737 pilot reports that his air carrier's maintenance performance concerns him because obvious errors may indicate operational pressure; staffing problems; and cutting corners.