Malfunctioning flight director on an MD80 was discovered prior to flight. Although the discrepancy w...

Narrative:

During my cockpit checks for the first flight of the day; I observed the first officer's pfd to be malfunctioning. The flight director command bars were erratically moving (redisplaying) on the screen and lines were appearing and disappearing on the pfd with a frequency of approximately 3 times per second. I notified the captain and maintenance (via operations) of the malfunction. After approximately 30 mins; the mechanic determined (with the assistance of technician) that the first officer's symbol generator was the problem and needed to be replaced in order to dispatch the aircraft for flight. After reaching that conclusion; the captain was on his cell phone with a representative from maintenance. He (the captain) handed me his cell phone and said; 'they want to talk to you.' the maintenance representative idented himself and explained to me that the symbol generator needed to adequately replace our broken one is at ZZZ1 and then asked if I did not have a problem with using the faulty symbol generator for the captain's display and flying it to ZZZ1. I first asked if this would be a maintenance ferry flight. He said we would be taking the passenger on board with us. I asked if the captain agreed to this. He said yes. I then asked; 'how can we legally fly an aircraft with passenger and a malfunctioning symbol generator; which is a grounding item?' he said; 'if it isn't in the book; it's not broken.' I told him that I refuse to fly the aircraft under those conditions and he said that they will fly the component from ZZZ1 to replace the broken one. After close to 2 hours; the display was normal and the mechanic signed off the logbook entry to allow the aircraft to be dispatched for flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that although an alternate symbol generator is available for selection; the malfunctioning unit cannot be deferred. It is for this reason that the reporter insisted that the malfunction be corrected. While awaiting the replacement unit; the component began working normally; and the flight departed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MALFUNCTIONING FLIGHT DIRECTOR ON AN MD80 WAS DISCOVERED PRIOR TO FLT. ALTHOUGH THE DISCREPANCY WAS NOT BE DEFERRABLE; IT WAS MAINT'S DESIRE TO OPERATE THE FLT WITHOUT DOCUMENTING THE DISCREPANCY.

Narrative: DURING MY COCKPIT CHKS FOR THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY; I OBSERVED THE FO'S PFD TO BE MALFUNCTIONING. THE FLT DIRECTOR COMMAND BARS WERE ERRATICALLY MOVING (REDISPLAYING) ON THE SCREEN AND LINES WERE APPEARING AND DISAPPEARING ON THE PFD WITH A FREQ OF APPROX 3 TIMES PER SECOND. I NOTIFIED THE CAPT AND MAINT (VIA OPS) OF THE MALFUNCTION. AFTER APPROX 30 MINS; THE MECH DETERMINED (WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF TECHNICIAN) THAT THE FO'S SYMBOL GENERATOR WAS THE PROB AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO DISPATCH THE ACFT FOR FLT. AFTER REACHING THAT CONCLUSION; THE CAPT WAS ON HIS CELL PHONE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM MAINT. HE (THE CAPT) HANDED ME HIS CELL PHONE AND SAID; 'THEY WANT TO TALK TO YOU.' THE MAINT REPRESENTATIVE IDENTED HIMSELF AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE SYMBOL GENERATOR NEEDED TO ADEQUATELY REPLACE OUR BROKEN ONE IS AT ZZZ1 AND THEN ASKED IF I DID NOT HAVE A PROB WITH USING THE FAULTY SYMBOL GENERATOR FOR THE CAPT'S DISPLAY AND FLYING IT TO ZZZ1. I FIRST ASKED IF THIS WOULD BE A MAINT FERRY FLT. HE SAID WE WOULD BE TAKING THE PAX ON BOARD WITH US. I ASKED IF THE CAPT AGREED TO THIS. HE SAID YES. I THEN ASKED; 'HOW CAN WE LEGALLY FLY AN ACFT WITH PAX AND A MALFUNCTIONING SYMBOL GENERATOR; WHICH IS A GROUNDING ITEM?' HE SAID; 'IF IT ISN'T IN THE BOOK; IT'S NOT BROKEN.' I TOLD HIM THAT I REFUSE TO FLY THE ACFT UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS AND HE SAID THAT THEY WILL FLY THE COMPONENT FROM ZZZ1 TO REPLACE THE BROKEN ONE. AFTER CLOSE TO 2 HRS; THE DISPLAY WAS NORMAL AND THE MECH SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK ENTRY TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO BE DISPATCHED FOR FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH AN ALTERNATE SYMBOL GENERATOR IS AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION; THE MALFUNCTIONING UNIT CANNOT BE DEFERRED. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT THE REPORTER INSISTED THAT THE MALFUNCTION BE CORRECTED. WHILE AWAITING THE REPLACEMENT UNIT; THE COMPONENT BEGAN WORKING NORMALLY; AND THE FLT DEPARTED.

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	781376
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	781376
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Malfunctioning flight director on an MD80 was discovered prior to flight. Although the discrepancy was not be deferrable; it was maintenance's desire to operate the flight without documenting the discrepancy.