Narrative:

On our flight our aircraft had a maintenance problem with a locking container that was broken in the aft cargo pit. The push crew notified us via the interphone after our departure time that they were having problems locking the cargo containers in the aft cargo compartment because of a broken locking pin mechanism. I called maintenance on VHF and informed them of the broken locking pin mechanism as the captain sent in the maintenance report code with the maintenance discrepancy via the ACARS. The mechanic on frequency told us not to write up the maintenance discrepancy and not to send in the maintenance report code. I informed the mechanic that the code had already been sent. The mechanic said in an extremely hostile and unprofessional tone that nothing faulty was wrong with our airplane and he would sign off the discrepancy as such as no maintenance would be performed. I informed the mechanic that it was a safety of flight issue that the cargo containers must be locked properly and the broken lock fixed and a mechanic was needed to look at the problem. The mechanic said the same thing that nothing was wrong with the airplane and no maintenance would be performed. I informed him we were not going to leave until the maintenance discrepancy was resolved. The mechanic on frequency responded with more hostile and unprofessional responses; basically saying that no maintenance would be performed; as it was a faulty write-up. As we waited; and approximately 20 mins later; the push crew told us that a mechanic had fixed the lock. The maintenance discrepancy was fixed by a company mechanic. When the new maintenance release came; the maintenance discrepancy was signed off as 'nothing wrong with aircraft loading system. Ramp error.' the captain called maintenance on frequency to inquire about the maintenance performed on the aircraft since the new maintenance release had no record of it. The mechanic on frequency was hostile and unprofessional disrespecting the captain's concerns for the safety of our flight. The captain spoke with our push crew again and reconfirmed that the lock was fixed by a mechanic. En route; we notified destination (ZZZZ) maintenance via the ACARS of the situation and felt strongly that a maintenance history should be started and monitored for this problem. This mechanic was excellent and professional and he helped us resolve the problem. The next day we checked the maintenance history and noted that a ZZZZ technician had entered the problem and helped us resolve our safety concerns. I have several concerns with our situation: 1) told by ZZZ maintenance not to write up or send a maintenance report code for a maintenance discrepancy. 2) told by ZZZ maintenance that the problem would be signed off as in error and no mechanic would look at the problem. 3) maintenance was performed by a mechanic and the maintenance release did not show work performed. 4) the hostile and unprofessional behavior by ZZZ maintenance and total disrespect of captain's authority/authorized and the safety of our flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 REPORTS ON THE VERY HOSTILE AND UNPROFESSIONAL TONE OF A MAINT CONTROLLER. SAME CONTROLLER TOLD PILOT NOT TO MAKE; OR SEND; A MAINT REPORT FOR A CARGO CONTAINER BROKEN LOCKING PIN MECHANISM.

Narrative: ON OUR FLT OUR ACFT HAD A MAINT PROB WITH A LOCKING CONTAINER THAT WAS BROKEN IN THE AFT CARGO PIT. THE PUSH CREW NOTIFIED US VIA THE INTERPHONE AFTER OUR DEP TIME THAT THEY WERE HAVING PROBS LOCKING THE CARGO CONTAINERS IN THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT BECAUSE OF A BROKEN LOCKING PIN MECHANISM. I CALLED MAINT ON VHF AND INFORMED THEM OF THE BROKEN LOCKING PIN MECHANISM AS THE CAPT SENT IN THE MAINT RPT CODE WITH THE MAINT DISCREPANCY VIA THE ACARS. THE MECH ON FREQ TOLD US NOT TO WRITE UP THE MAINT DISCREPANCY AND NOT TO SEND IN THE MAINT RPT CODE. I INFORMED THE MECH THAT THE CODE HAD ALREADY BEEN SENT. THE MECH SAID IN AN EXTREMELY HOSTILE AND UNPROFESSIONAL TONE THAT NOTHING FAULTY WAS WRONG WITH OUR AIRPLANE AND HE WOULD SIGN OFF THE DISCREPANCY AS SUCH AS NO MAINT WOULD BE PERFORMED. I INFORMED THE MECH THAT IT WAS A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE THAT THE CARGO CONTAINERS MUST BE LOCKED PROPERLY AND THE BROKEN LOCK FIXED AND A MECH WAS NEEDED TO LOOK AT THE PROB. THE MECH SAID THE SAME THING THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE AIRPLANE AND NO MAINT WOULD BE PERFORMED. I INFORMED HIM WE WERE NOT GOING TO LEAVE UNTIL THE MAINT DISCREPANCY WAS RESOLVED. THE MECH ON FREQ RESPONDED WITH MORE HOSTILE AND UNPROFESSIONAL RESPONSES; BASICALLY SAYING THAT NO MAINT WOULD BE PERFORMED; AS IT WAS A FAULTY WRITE-UP. AS WE WAITED; AND APPROX 20 MINS LATER; THE PUSH CREW TOLD US THAT A MECH HAD FIXED THE LOCK. THE MAINT DISCREPANCY WAS FIXED BY A COMPANY MECH. WHEN THE NEW MAINT RELEASE CAME; THE MAINT DISCREPANCY WAS SIGNED OFF AS 'NOTHING WRONG WITH ACFT LOADING SYS. RAMP ERROR.' THE CAPT CALLED MAINT ON FREQ TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE MAINT PERFORMED ON THE ACFT SINCE THE NEW MAINT RELEASE HAD NO RECORD OF IT. THE MECH ON FREQ WAS HOSTILE AND UNPROFESSIONAL DISRESPECTING THE CAPT'S CONCERNS FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR FLT. THE CAPT SPOKE WITH OUR PUSH CREW AGAIN AND RECONFIRMED THAT THE LOCK WAS FIXED BY A MECH. ENRTE; WE NOTIFIED DEST (ZZZZ) MAINT VIA THE ACARS OF THE SITUATION AND FELT STRONGLY THAT A MAINT HISTORY SHOULD BE STARTED AND MONITORED FOR THIS PROB. THIS MECH WAS EXCELLENT AND PROFESSIONAL AND HE HELPED US RESOLVE THE PROB. THE NEXT DAY WE CHKED THE MAINT HISTORY AND NOTED THAT A ZZZZ TECHNICIAN HAD ENTERED THE PROB AND HELPED US RESOLVE OUR SAFETY CONCERNS. I HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS WITH OUR SITUATION: 1) TOLD BY ZZZ MAINT NOT TO WRITE UP OR SEND A MAINT RPT CODE FOR A MAINT DISCREPANCY. 2) TOLD BY ZZZ MAINT THAT THE PROB WOULD BE SIGNED OFF AS IN ERROR AND NO MECH WOULD LOOK AT THE PROB. 3) MAINT WAS PERFORMED BY A MECH AND THE MAINT RELEASE DID NOT SHOW WORK PERFORMED. 4) THE HOSTILE AND UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR BY ZZZ MAINT AND TOTAL DISRESPECT OF CAPT'S AUTH AND THE SAFETY OF OUR FLT.

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.