Narrative:

Maintenance was informed by this reporter that the #1 throttle was sticking. When the throttle was advanced it would stick and then snap forward a distance of an inch or better making small power adjustments on final difficult. This was previously written up and reported by maintenance to be 'within normal limits.' however this reporter was told by maintenance that there was a (sorry but I forget the acronym for it) to resolve the issue at a later date. Maintenance tech came out and this reporter discussed the issue with him. He said he would try to lube it. I requested that he not use a petroleum distillate product due to the neurotoxicities of said products and if a silicone based lubricant was available I would prefer that. He said he understood and left. When I got back to the airplane 2 different maintenance techs were just leaving the aircraft with a can of aerosol lubricant. I asked if I could see it. On the warning label it stated that it contained petroleum distillates and was to be used in a 'well ventilated area.' I asked if they had opened the windows while using the product; they had not. The packs were off due to the APU policy. The tech said that he had only used a small amount and the smell had dissipated. He also stated that the cockpit door was open at the time. The supervisor said that the product complies with the company's materials information sheet guidelines. I contended that the manufacturer's guidelines to use the product in a 'well ventilated area' was not complied with while using it in an area as small as a closet with no windows or airflow. Boeing makes or provides (read 'sells') a lubrication product that is intended for use in aircraft cabins that is safe. It seems that no one knows what the definition of 'well ventilated area' is. Define what a 'well ventilated area' is. How many cubic feet of air is required to keep the product's harmful vapors from being a hazard to the occupants of a cockpit that is occupied in a low oxygen environment (cabin altitude of 8000 ft)? Provide a non toxic lubricant (one that can be used in an environment as the cockpit) that is safe. Educate maintenance crews on said products.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILOT OF A B737-400 WITH A #1 THROTTLE STICKING; RAISES ISSUE OF MAINT USING PETROLEUM DISTILLATES TYPE SPRAYS IN CONFINED COCKPIT WITH A LOW OXYGEN ENVIRONMENT (CABIN ALTITUDE OF 8000 FT).

Narrative: MAINT WAS INFORMED BY THIS RPTR THAT THE #1 THROTTLE WAS STICKING. WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED IT WOULD STICK AND THEN SNAP FORWARD A DISTANCE OF AN INCH OR BETTER MAKING SMALL PWR ADJUSTMENTS ON FINAL DIFFICULT. THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN UP AND RPTED BY MAINT TO BE 'WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.' HOWEVER THIS RPTR WAS TOLD BY MAINT THAT THERE WAS A (SORRY BUT I FORGET THE ACRONYM FOR IT) TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AT A LATER DATE. MAINT TECH CAME OUT AND THIS RPTR DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH HIM. HE SAID HE WOULD TRY TO LUBE IT. I REQUESTED THAT HE NOT USE A PETROLEUM DISTILLATE PRODUCT DUE TO THE NEUROTOXICITIES OF SAID PRODUCTS AND IF A SILICONE BASED LUBRICANT WAS AVAILABLE I WOULD PREFER THAT. HE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD AND LEFT. WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE AIRPLANE 2 DIFFERENT MAINT TECHS WERE JUST LEAVING THE ACFT WITH A CAN OF AEROSOL LUBRICANT. I ASKED IF I COULD SEE IT. ON THE WARNING LABEL IT STATED THAT IT CONTAINED PETROLEUM DISTILLATES AND WAS TO BE USED IN A 'WELL VENTILATED AREA.' I ASKED IF THEY HAD OPENED THE WINDOWS WHILE USING THE PRODUCT; THEY HAD NOT. THE PACKS WERE OFF DUE TO THE APU POLICY. THE TECH SAID THAT HE HAD ONLY USED A SMALL AMOUNT AND THE SMELL HAD DISSIPATED. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS OPEN AT THE TIME. THE SUPVR SAID THAT THE PRODUCT COMPLIES WITH THE COMPANY'S MATERIALS INFO SHEET GUIDELINES. I CONTENDED THAT THE MANUFACTURER'S GUIDELINES TO USE THE PRODUCT IN A 'WELL VENTILATED AREA' WAS NOT COMPLIED WITH WHILE USING IT IN AN AREA AS SMALL AS A CLOSET WITH NO WINDOWS OR AIRFLOW. BOEING MAKES OR PROVIDES (READ 'SELLS') A LUBRICATION PRODUCT THAT IS INTENDED FOR USE IN ACFT CABINS THAT IS SAFE. IT SEEMS THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE DEFINITION OF 'WELL VENTILATED AREA' IS. DEFINE WHAT A 'WELL VENTILATED AREA' IS. HOW MANY CUBIC FEET OF AIR IS REQUIRED TO KEEP THE PRODUCT'S HARMFUL VAPORS FROM BEING A HAZARD TO THE OCCUPANTS OF A COCKPIT THAT IS OCCUPIED IN A LOW OXYGEN ENVIRONMENT (CABIN ALT OF 8000 FT)? PROVIDE A NON TOXIC LUBRICANT (ONE THAT CAN BE USED IN AN ENVIRONMENT AS THE COCKPIT) THAT IS SAFE. EDUCATE MAINT CREWS ON SAID PRODUCTS.

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.