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B737-900 captain learns his aircraft had an ongoing MEL item in the maintenance computer log requiring maintenance attention prior to each departure. Item was not shown in logbook.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 794769 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200807 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time type : 9800 |
| ASRS Report | 794769 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : 2 gnd crew tech |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
While preflting for departure I found no MEL's; cdl's; or deferred items. In fact; the flight paperwork contained a statement of 'no items found in this category' under deferred maintenance. As I inspected the airplane logbook I noticed that there had been several times where maintenance had signed off work on an aft cargo door but I thought nothing of it. Upon arrival in ZZZ1 there was a mechanic who met our flight and he was puzzled at why there was a recurring maintenance action item on our airplane yet there was no paperwork indicating it had been MEL'ed etc. After discussing this with maintenance I learned there was a broken spring in the aft cargo pit handle and because of this maintenance was applying speed tape to the handle prior to each departure once loading was completed. It seems to me that this item should have been MEL'ed. At a minimum; we should have received some sort of paperwork indicating a need for recurring maintenance action on this item.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-900 CAPTAIN LEARNS HIS ACFT HAD AN ONGOING MEL ITEM IN THE MAINT COMPUTER LOG REQUIRING MAINT ATTENTION PRIOR TO EACH DEPARTURE. ITEM WAS NOT SHOWN IN LOGBOOK.
Narrative: WHILE PREFLTING FOR DEP I FOUND NO MEL'S; CDL'S; OR DEFERRED ITEMS. IN FACT; THE FLT PAPERWORK CONTAINED A STATEMENT OF 'NO ITEMS FOUND IN THIS CATEGORY' UNDER DEFERRED MAINT. AS I INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE LOGBOOK I NOTICED THAT THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL TIMES WHERE MAINT HAD SIGNED OFF WORK ON AN AFT CARGO DOOR BUT I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. UPON ARR IN ZZZ1 THERE WAS A MECH WHO MET OUR FLT AND HE WAS PUZZLED AT WHY THERE WAS A RECURRING MAINT ACTION ITEM ON OUR AIRPLANE YET THERE WAS NO PAPERWORK INDICATING IT HAD BEEN MEL'ED ETC. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS WITH MAINT I LEARNED THERE WAS A BROKEN SPRING IN THE AFT CARGO PIT HANDLE AND BECAUSE OF THIS MAINT WAS APPLYING SPD TAPE TO THE HANDLE PRIOR TO EACH DEP ONCE LOADING WAS COMPLETED. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS ITEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN MEL'ED. AT A MINIMUM; WE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED SOME SORT OF PAPERWORK INDICATING A NEED FOR RECURRING MAINT ACTION ON THIS ITEM.
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.