Narrative:

Upon completing preflight inspection; the first officer noted that the aircraft had the nitrogen generating system installed but noted as inoperative in the wheel well. We consulted bulletin that stated as follows: 'nitrogen generating system aircraft will have a placard in the front of the logbook as well as on the center instrument panel near the fuel gauges annotating the installation of the nitrogen generating system.' 'these aircraft will also have the following stencil on the lower wing surface at each fuel tank access panel.' this aircraft does not have the required placards installed in the places that the bulletin states nor is the system on deferral as an MEL item. I contacted my dispatcher and the -700 duty controller. The duty controller; after much discussion; felt that there was no requirement for the placarding if the system was inoperative; but also felt that there was no need to defer it as such. I had the dispatcher contact the chief pilot for a ruling. He told us that we were good to go but that he could check further. We flew the aircraft 2 legs where I turned it over to another pilot and informed him of the discrepancy. The chief pilot later responded with a call that the aircraft was still on the gate pending a more thorough maintenance review of the placarding before being released for flight. There appears to be a disconnect between the flight operations bulletin verbiage and the perception which maintenance has of an installed but inoperative system. That disconnect needs to be resolved and any other -700 aircraft that have been delivered with the nitrogen generating system but not yet having it operable need to be reviewed for the same discrepancy. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the answer he received back from his chief pilot's office reaffirmed the maintenance group's position that an installed; but not yet activated system; did not require any placard or any MEL item in the logbook. He has not received a response regarding the current flight operations bulletin requiring placard and stenciling on the wing lower surface. Reporter stated his carrier is receiving new aircraft with the nitrogen generating system (ngs) already installed for the center fuel tanks; but not activated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 PILOT NOTES THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN THEIR FLT OPERATIONS BULLETIN REQUIRING PLACARDS AND MAINT'S PERCEPTION OF WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR THEIR INSTALLED; BUT NOT YET OPERABLE; NITROGEN GENERATING SYS (NGS).

Narrative: UPON COMPLETING PREFLT INSPECTION; THE FO NOTED THAT THE ACFT HAD THE NITROGEN GENERATING SYS INSTALLED BUT NOTED AS INOP IN THE WHEEL WELL. WE CONSULTED BULLETIN THAT STATED AS FOLLOWS: 'NITROGEN GENERATING SYS ACFT WILL HAVE A PLACARD IN THE FRONT OF THE LOGBOOK AS WELL AS ON THE CTR INST PANEL NEAR THE FUEL GAUGES ANNOTATING THE INSTALLATION OF THE NITROGEN GENERATING SYS.' 'THESE ACFT WILL ALSO HAVE THE FOLLOWING STENCIL ON THE LOWER WING SURFACE AT EACH FUEL TANK ACCESS PANEL.' THIS ACFT DOES NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED PLACARDS INSTALLED IN THE PLACES THAT THE BULLETIN STATES NOR IS THE SYS ON DEFERRAL AS AN MEL ITEM. I CONTACTED MY DISPATCHER AND THE -700 DUTY CTLR. THE DUTY CTLR; AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION; FELT THAT THERE WAS NO REQUIREMENT FOR THE PLACARDING IF THE SYS WAS INOP; BUT ALSO FELT THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO DEFER IT AS SUCH. I HAD THE DISPATCHER CONTACT THE CHIEF PLT FOR A RULING. HE TOLD US THAT WE WERE GOOD TO GO BUT THAT HE COULD CHK FURTHER. WE FLEW THE ACFT 2 LEGS WHERE I TURNED IT OVER TO ANOTHER PLT AND INFORMED HIM OF THE DISCREPANCY. THE CHIEF PLT LATER RESPONDED WITH A CALL THAT THE ACFT WAS STILL ON THE GATE PENDING A MORE THOROUGH MAINT REVIEW OF THE PLACARDING BEFORE BEING RELEASED FOR FLT. THERE APPEARS TO BE A DISCONNECT BTWN THE FLT OPS BULLETIN VERBIAGE AND THE PERCEPTION WHICH MAINT HAS OF AN INSTALLED BUT INOP SYS. THAT DISCONNECT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED AND ANY OTHER -700 ACFT THAT HAVE BEEN DELIVERED WITH THE NITROGEN GENERATING SYS BUT NOT YET HAVING IT OPERABLE NEED TO BE REVIEWED FOR THE SAME DISCREPANCY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE ANSWER HE RECEIVED BACK FROM HIS CHIEF PILOT'S OFFICE REAFFIRMED THE MAINT GROUP'S POSITION THAT AN INSTALLED; BUT NOT YET ACTIVATED SYSTEM; DID NOT REQUIRE ANY PLACARD OR ANY MEL ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK. HE HAS NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE REGARDING THE CURRENT FLIGHT OPERATIONS BULLETIN REQUIRING PLACARD AND STENCILING ON THE WING LOWER SURFACE. REPORTER STATED HIS CARRIER IS RECEIVING NEW ACFT WITH THE NITROGEN GENERATING SYSTEM (NGS) ALREADY INSTALLED FOR THE CENTER FUEL TANKS; BUT NOT ACTIVATED.

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.