Narrative:

Aircraft had a MEL deferral item pertaining to the tailskid that was deactivated in the extend position. This required certain mandatory items to be accomplished by maintenance prior to return of the aircraft to service on each leg. This aircraft had flown from ZZZ with the same problem. The tailskid was deactivated mid jul/08 and was to fly in that manner until late jul/08 prior to the repair being performed. The aircraft needed all 6 valves shut off in the rear of the aircraft lavatories and galleys to prevent waste water going through the drain mast and hitting the extended tailskid. This would have caused tremendous ice buildup and possible damage to the empennage; horizontal stabilizer and elevators if the ice hit those areas at mach .79. Due to manpower shortages the needed 6 valves were not turned off. 3 lavatory valves in aft lavatories were discovered open in flight by the flight attendants. Captain instructed them to close the 3 valves immediately. Did this aircraft fly from ZZZ to ZZZ1 with the valves open? Is the aircraft flying around the world with the valves open? If a chunk of ice hits the flight control surfaces; the aircraft could have a serious and catastrophic upset condition in flight. At the admission of ZZZ1 maintenance the entire night shift had been laid off due to budget cutbacks. They did not have the manpower to attend to critical safety related items. We have observed many safety issues are being left to the line pilots to make the final decision and determine if the aircraft is safe to fly. Pilots should not be put in that position. Maintenance does not have the parts to perform required maintenance to keep our fleet safe. Why is this important safety issue not still being addressed? Is this senior management team waiting for a hull loss before stocking the required parts for our fleet? In conclusion; if we can somehow urge the FAA; NTSB and NASA to mandate that the carrier stock up with parts which are required to conduct proper maintenance and repair aircraft as soon as repairs are needed this situation with the ice buildup would have not occurred; as the tailskid would have been fixed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILOT REPORTS THAT A B767-300; WITH AN MEL DEFERRAL FOR A TAILSKID DEACTIVATED IN THE EXTEND POSITION DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MANPOWER TO ACCOMPLISH CERTAIN MANDATORY ITEMS PRIOR TO RETURN OF ACFT TO SERVICE ON EACH LEG.

Narrative: ACFT HAD A MEL DEFERRAL ITEM PERTAINING TO THE TAILSKID THAT WAS DEACTIVATED IN THE EXTEND POS. THIS REQUIRED CERTAIN MANDATORY ITEMS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY MAINT PRIOR TO RETURN OF THE ACFT TO SVC ON EACH LEG. THIS ACFT HAD FLOWN FROM ZZZ WITH THE SAME PROB. THE TAILSKID WAS DEACTIVATED MID JUL/08 AND WAS TO FLY IN THAT MANNER UNTIL LATE JUL/08 PRIOR TO THE REPAIR BEING PERFORMED. THE ACFT NEEDED ALL 6 VALVES SHUT OFF IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT LAVATORIES AND GALLEYS TO PREVENT WASTE WATER GOING THROUGH THE DRAIN MAST AND HITTING THE EXTENDED TAILSKID. THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED TREMENDOUS ICE BUILDUP AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE EMPENNAGE; HORIZ STABILIZER AND ELEVATORS IF THE ICE HIT THOSE AREAS AT MACH .79. DUE TO MANPOWER SHORTAGES THE NEEDED 6 VALVES WERE NOT TURNED OFF. 3 LAVATORY VALVES IN AFT LAVATORIES WERE DISCOVERED OPEN IN FLT BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS. CAPT INSTRUCTED THEM TO CLOSE THE 3 VALVES IMMEDIATELY. DID THIS ACFT FLY FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 WITH THE VALVES OPEN? IS THE ACFT FLYING AROUND THE WORLD WITH THE VALVES OPEN? IF A CHUNK OF ICE HITS THE FLT CTL SURFACES; THE ACFT COULD HAVE A SERIOUS AND CATASTROPHIC UPSET CONDITION IN FLT. AT THE ADMISSION OF ZZZ1 MAINT THE ENTIRE NIGHT SHIFT HAD BEEN LAID OFF DUE TO BUDGET CUTBACKS. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE MANPOWER TO ATTEND TO CRITICAL SAFETY RELATED ITEMS. WE HAVE OBSERVED MANY SAFETY ISSUES ARE BEING LEFT TO THE LINE PLTS TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION AND DETERMINE IF THE ACFT IS SAFE TO FLY. PLTS SHOULD NOT BE PUT IN THAT POS. MAINT DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO PERFORM REQUIRED MAINT TO KEEP OUR FLEET SAFE. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE NOT STILL BEING ADDRESSED? IS THIS SENIOR MGMNT TEAM WAITING FOR A HULL LOSS BEFORE STOCKING THE REQUIRED PARTS FOR OUR FLEET? IN CONCLUSION; IF WE CAN SOMEHOW URGE THE FAA; NTSB AND NASA TO MANDATE THAT THE CARRIER STOCK UP WITH PARTS WHICH ARE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT PROPER MAINT AND REPAIR ACFT AS SOON AS REPAIRS ARE NEEDED THIS SITUATION WITH THE ICE BUILDUP WOULD HAVE NOT OCCURRED; AS THE TAILSKID WOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED.

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.