Narrative:

Air carrier maintenance release of aircraft with binding throttles. Aircraft had an earlier PIREP of left engine unable to reach commanded EPR on takeoff; followed by pilots manually attempting to advance throttles. They reported binding in the left throttle lever and were unable to advance throttles to commanded thrust (takeoff power). This logbook entry was signed off as 'autothrottles inoperative' by ZZZ maintenance. Aircraft logbook indicates aircraft was flown subsequent to that deferral. Prior to my acceptance of the aircraft; ZZZ1 maintenance revisited the problem and checked the throttle cables; digital thrust boxes and fuel flow generators; and accomplished actual repairs. The incorrect autothrottle deferral was still in effect when I reached the airplane in ZZZ2. Upon review of the logbook; I contacted maintenance and indicated my concern that an aircraft with reports of a binding flight/engine control was released to flight status without any competent investigation or repairs effected. Maintenance agreed; and sent a message to ZZZ3 to follow-up; and remove the superfluous 'autothrottle inoperative' placard. The fact is; this was never an autothrottle problem. This was a flight control engine control problem; and should never have flown or been released without proper troubleshooting and repairs accomplished to address logbook reports of 'binding' and inability to 'produce commanded thrust.' I was satisfied that prior to the aircraft being presented to me in ZZZ2 that proper troubleshooting finally was accomplished; but that was well past when it should have been accomplished; and I am concerned that a logbook entry of 'binding' in any critical control would be deferred and released to flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILOT REPORTS THAT A B757-200 HE WAS ABOUT TO FLY; HAD BEEN RELEASED EARLIER; WITHOUT PROPER TROUBLESHOOTING OR REPAIRS FOR A LEFT ENGINE THROTTLE 'BINDING' AND 'INABILITY' TO PRODUCE COMMANDED THRUST.

Narrative: ACR MAINT RELEASE OF ACFT WITH BINDING THROTTLES. ACFT HAD AN EARLIER PIREP OF L ENG UNABLE TO REACH COMMANDED EPR ON TKOF; FOLLOWED BY PLTS MANUALLY ATTEMPTING TO ADVANCE THROTTLES. THEY RPTED BINDING IN THE L THROTTLE LEVER AND WERE UNABLE TO ADVANCE THROTTLES TO COMMANDED THRUST (TKOF PWR). THIS LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS SIGNED OFF AS 'AUTOTHROTTLES INOP' BY ZZZ MAINT. ACFT LOGBOOK INDICATES ACFT WAS FLOWN SUBSEQUENT TO THAT DEFERRAL. PRIOR TO MY ACCEPTANCE OF THE ACFT; ZZZ1 MAINT REVISITED THE PROB AND CHKED THE THROTTLE CABLES; DIGITAL THRUST BOXES AND FUEL FLOW GENERATORS; AND ACCOMPLISHED ACTUAL REPAIRS. THE INCORRECT AUTOTHROTTLE DEFERRAL WAS STILL IN EFFECT WHEN I REACHED THE AIRPLANE IN ZZZ2. UPON REVIEW OF THE LOGBOOK; I CONTACTED MAINT AND INDICATED MY CONCERN THAT AN ACFT WITH RPTS OF A BINDING FLT/ENG CTL WAS RELEASED TO FLT STATUS WITHOUT ANY COMPETENT INVESTIGATION OR REPAIRS EFFECTED. MAINT AGREED; AND SENT A MESSAGE TO ZZZ3 TO FOLLOW-UP; AND REMOVE THE SUPERFLUOUS 'AUTOTHROTTLE INOP' PLACARD. THE FACT IS; THIS WAS NEVER AN AUTOTHROTTLE PROB. THIS WAS A FLT CTL ENG CTL PROB; AND SHOULD NEVER HAVE FLOWN OR BEEN RELEASED WITHOUT PROPER TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPAIRS ACCOMPLISHED TO ADDRESS LOGBOOK RPTS OF 'BINDING' AND INABILITY TO 'PRODUCE COMMANDED THRUST.' I WAS SATISFIED THAT PRIOR TO THE ACFT BEING PRESENTED TO ME IN ZZZ2 THAT PROPER TROUBLESHOOTING FINALLY WAS ACCOMPLISHED; BUT THAT WAS WELL PAST WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED; AND I AM CONCERNED THAT A LOGBOOK ENTRY OF 'BINDING' IN ANY CRITICAL CTL WOULD BE DEFERRED AND RELEASED TO FLT.

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.