Narrative:

Maintenance appeared to pencil whip a write-up. During walkaround I was concerned with a fluid dripping from the APU area of the aircraft. (Captain walkaround.) I wrote up the concern using our SOP maintenance procedures. I personally spoke with the contract mechanic who was going to address the concern. I walked outside to show him my concerns and we talked about it. I pointed out where there was a possible leak from a drain hole and even an access door under the aircraft APU area. The contract mechanic asked me to start the APU. I then called company maintenance to report his findings. We were advised everything was fine and the new maintenance release would be forthcoming. When the maintenance release came; the item had been cleared. I was amazed to see the corrective action stated there was not a leak and there was a statement saying the oil level had been checked. I know for a fact it had not been checked. I called maintenance release operations and asked to speak with the mechanic who claims to have checked the oil level. He told me he checked it via ACARS. I was assured the corrective action was done correctly; so I accepted this as correct. The APU was signed off and we pushed for ZZZ. During engine start; the APU did an automatic shutdown. We coordination via a phone patch and deferred the APU and continued the flight. Bottom line; there was rush and push to get the flight off. It was very apparent to me the initial contract maintenance was pencil whipped; and I continued. After the flight; I called maintenance controller and spoke with the original maintenance controller. I expressed my concerns and he said he can only go by what he's told on the phone by our contract maintenance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the fluid had the viscosity and color of oil; but did not smell of fuel. The belly portion of the APU clamshell access doors were coated with a sheen and slickness of oil leaking that appeared to be coming from the drain hole just forward of the APU access doors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING WALKAROUND OF AN AIRBUS A320; CAPTAIN NOTICED FLUID DRIPPING FROM THE APU AREA OF ACFT; BUT CONTRACT MAINT AND MAINT CONTROL APPEARED TO 'PENCIL WHIP' HIS WRITE-UP AS 'NO LEAKS;' CHECKED APU OIL VIA ACARS AND RELEASED ACFT.

Narrative: MAINT APPEARED TO PENCIL WHIP A WRITE-UP. DURING WALKAROUND I WAS CONCERNED WITH A FLUID DRIPPING FROM THE APU AREA OF THE ACFT. (CAPT WALKAROUND.) I WROTE UP THE CONCERN USING OUR SOP MAINT PROCS. I PERSONALLY SPOKE WITH THE CONTRACT MECH WHO WAS GOING TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN. I WALKED OUTSIDE TO SHOW HIM MY CONCERNS AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT. I POINTED OUT WHERE THERE WAS A POSSIBLE LEAK FROM A DRAIN HOLE AND EVEN AN ACCESS DOOR UNDER THE ACFT APU AREA. THE CONTRACT MECH ASKED ME TO START THE APU. I THEN CALLED COMPANY MAINT TO RPT HIS FINDINGS. WE WERE ADVISED EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND THE NEW MAINT RELEASE WOULD BE FORTHCOMING. WHEN THE MAINT RELEASE CAME; THE ITEM HAD BEEN CLRED. I WAS AMAZED TO SEE THE CORRECTIVE ACTION STATED THERE WAS NOT A LEAK AND THERE WAS A STATEMENT SAYING THE OIL LEVEL HAD BEEN CHKED. I KNOW FOR A FACT IT HAD NOT BEEN CHKED. I CALLED MAINT RELEASE OPS AND ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THE MECH WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE CHKED THE OIL LEVEL. HE TOLD ME HE CHKED IT VIA ACARS. I WAS ASSURED THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS DONE CORRECTLY; SO I ACCEPTED THIS AS CORRECT. THE APU WAS SIGNED OFF AND WE PUSHED FOR ZZZ. DURING ENG START; THE APU DID AN AUTO SHUTDOWN. WE COORD VIA A PHONE PATCH AND DEFERRED THE APU AND CONTINUED THE FLT. BOTTOM LINE; THERE WAS RUSH AND PUSH TO GET THE FLT OFF. IT WAS VERY APPARENT TO ME THE INITIAL CONTRACT MAINT WAS PENCIL WHIPPED; AND I CONTINUED. AFTER THE FLT; I CALLED MAINT CTLR AND SPOKE WITH THE ORIGINAL MAINT CTLR. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS AND HE SAID HE CAN ONLY GO BY WHAT HE'S TOLD ON THE PHONE BY OUR CONTRACT MAINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE FLUID HAD THE VISCOSITY AND COLOR OF OIL; BUT DID NOT SMELL OF FUEL. THE BELLY PORTION OF THE APU CLAMSHELL ACCESS DOORS WERE COATED WITH A SHEEN AND SLICKNESS OF OIL LEAKING THAT APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE DRAIN HOLE JUST FORWARD OF THE APU ACCESS DOORS.

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.