B757-200 captain writes up seat cushions for both seats cushions on flight deck and receives 'servic...

Narrative:

I am writing about what I consider disturbing behavior by local mechanics. At approximately XA00; I entered the cockpit. Upon sitting down; I noticed that the captain's seat cushion was entirely flat as was the back cushion. Looking over at the first officer's seat; I determined that his cushions were in the same state of wear and failure. I immediately entered write-ups in ACARS and also notified local maintenance by radio. At approximately XA45; a new release scrolled up on the ACARS printer. Maintenance had deemed the seat cushions on both seas to 'be svcable' and had entered them as a carry forward item. Now; I do not know how maintenance determined the seats were 'serviceable' since no mechanic ever entered the cockpit to see the seats for himself or to discuss the situation with me. I attempted to discuss the issue on the jetbridge phone with local maintenance; but did not receive much concern for the lack of actually investigating the write-up before determining if the seats were 'svcable.' unfortunately; since maintenance could not or would not follow accepted procedures for determining the 'serviceability' of an aircraft part; by actually inspecting that part; I could not accept the release and called dispatch to refuse the aircraft at approximately XA50. At about XB25; mechanics entered the aircraft and replaced all 4 seat cushions in about 8 mins time. Most people would think it silly to make such a fuss over seat cushions. However; properly functioning seat cushions contribute safety in that they reduce fatigue; allow for better positioning of the seat for maximum visibility and accessibility of controls; and maybe protective of injury in the event of an accident of incident. I did not write up the seat cushions to be silly or to delay the flight. Maintenance's actions (or lack of action) did that all by themselves. Having experienced this firsthand; I believe that I can no longer trust deferrals of even more critical parts of the aircraft for being accurate and properly investigated. What else are they deferring without investigating? Please note this occurred at a station where our largest in-house maintenance facility is located.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CAPT WRITES UP SEAT CUSHIONS FOR BOTH SEATS CUSHIONS ON FLIGHT DECK AND RECEIVES 'SERVICEABLE' RESPONSE FROM MAINTENANCE WITHOUT A MECHANIC EVER ENTERING THE COCKPIT TO VISUALLY INSPECT SEATS.

Narrative: I AM WRITING ABOUT WHAT I CONSIDER DISTURBING BEHAVIOR BY LCL MECHS. AT APPROX XA00; I ENTERED THE COCKPIT. UPON SITTING DOWN; I NOTICED THAT THE CAPT'S SEAT CUSHION WAS ENTIRELY FLAT AS WAS THE BACK CUSHION. LOOKING OVER AT THE FO'S SEAT; I DETERMINED THAT HIS CUSHIONS WERE IN THE SAME STATE OF WEAR AND FAILURE. I IMMEDIATELY ENTERED WRITE-UPS IN ACARS AND ALSO NOTIFIED LCL MAINT BY RADIO. AT APPROX XA45; A NEW RELEASE SCROLLED UP ON THE ACARS PRINTER. MAINT HAD DEEMED THE SEAT CUSHIONS ON BOTH SEAS TO 'BE SVCABLE' AND HAD ENTERED THEM AS A CARRY FORWARD ITEM. NOW; I DO NOT KNOW HOW MAINT DETERMINED THE SEATS WERE 'SERVICEABLE' SINCE NO MECH EVER ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO SEE THE SEATS FOR HIMSELF OR TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION WITH ME. I ATTEMPTED TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE ON THE JETBRIDGE PHONE WITH LCL MAINT; BUT DID NOT RECEIVE MUCH CONCERN FOR THE LACK OF ACTUALLY INVESTIGATING THE WRITE-UP BEFORE DETERMINING IF THE SEATS WERE 'SVCABLE.' UNFORTUNATELY; SINCE MAINT COULD NOT OR WOULD NOT FOLLOW ACCEPTED PROCS FOR DETERMINING THE 'SERVICEABILITY' OF AN ACFT PART; BY ACTUALLY INSPECTING THAT PART; I COULD NOT ACCEPT THE RELEASE AND CALLED DISPATCH TO REFUSE THE ACFT AT APPROX XA50. AT ABOUT XB25; MECHS ENTERED THE ACFT AND REPLACED ALL 4 SEAT CUSHIONS IN ABOUT 8 MINS TIME. MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK IT SILLY TO MAKE SUCH A FUSS OVER SEAT CUSHIONS. HOWEVER; PROPERLY FUNCTIONING SEAT CUSHIONS CONTRIBUTE SAFETY IN THAT THEY REDUCE FATIGUE; ALLOW FOR BETTER POSITIONING OF THE SEAT FOR MAX VISIBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF CTLS; AND MAYBE PROTECTIVE OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OF INCIDENT. I DID NOT WRITE UP THE SEAT CUSHIONS TO BE SILLY OR TO DELAY THE FLT. MAINT'S ACTIONS (OR LACK OF ACTION) DID THAT ALL BY THEMSELVES. HAVING EXPERIENCED THIS FIRSTHAND; I BELIEVE THAT I CAN NO LONGER TRUST DEFERRALS OF EVEN MORE CRITICAL PARTS OF THE ACFT FOR BEING ACCURATE AND PROPERLY INVESTIGATED. WHAT ELSE ARE THEY DEFERRING WITHOUT INVESTIGATING? PLEASE NOTE THIS OCCURRED AT A STATION WHERE OUR LARGEST IN-HOUSE MAINT FACILITY IS LOCATED.

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	801275
Time
Date	200808
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	801275
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

B757-200 captain writes up seat cushions for both seats cushions on flight deck and receives 'serviceable' response from maintenance without a mechanic ever entering the cockpit to visually inspect seats.