Narrative:

After the aborted takeoff in aircraft X and return to the gate; we were given another aircraft Y. During preflight planning it was noted that the aircraft had a history of the 'spoiler' alert light illuminating on both the EICAS and overhead. During preflight of the aircraft and shortly before our planned departure; we noticed the automatic land status annunciator had 'no land 3' in the lower window. We tried switching power from ground to APU to see if it would go away. That did not help. Not seeing anything else out of order; we notified local maintenance and entered the defect in ACARS. Maintenance came right out to the aircraft. During their initial cockpit visit; the 'no land 3' went away on its own. The mechanic left to close the defect and issue a new maintenance release. Shortly thereafter; the annunciation reappeared. We notified maintenance and reentered the maintenance release. Due to favorable WX en route and at both the departure airport and destination; I was agreeable to a deferral if one could be legally made. The mechanic did some testing in the east bay and discovered a fault on the left FCC. We deferred the left FCC and departed the gate. As we approached runway 1R again; the first officer called to my attention the 'spoiler' alert on EICAS and we noted the 'spoiler' light on the overhead panel illuminated. We taxied clear of the runway environment and contacted maintenance control. Maintenance control had me pull and reset; one at a time; circuit breakers C6; 7; 8; 9; and G17; 18; 27; 28. The light did not clear. Maintenance control said we needed to return to the gate for further evaluate. Upon arrival at the gate; local maintenance came up and recycled the same circuit breakers again. No help. The mechanics began doing some diagnostic work. After about an hour and half; cust service deplaned the passenger. About this time; maintenance informed me the spoiler light had gone out. The lead mechanic asked me if I was willing to accept the aircraft for flight. I asked him if he knew why the spoiler alerts kept happening? He did not. I asked him if he knew why the light had corrected itself. He did not. At that point I notified dispatch I was refusing the aircraft due to the chronic; unpredictable; and unknown nature of the maintenance problem. I asked dispatch to enter my refusal in the log. He was having difficulty getting the maintenance computer to accept the refusal entry; but promised to get it done. He stated he would also make sure that passenger service knew of my refusal. Upon later review of the log history in maintenance computer; I did not see where dispatch had entered my refusal into the official log. We were then assigned aircraft Z and finally made it to ZZZ by XS20.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 SPOILER EICAS LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED DURING PREFLIGHT AND WHILE HOLDING SHORT FOR TAKEOFF. MAINTENANCE COULD NOT REPAIR NOR EXPLAIN WHY THE ALERT WAS OCCURRING.

Narrative: AFTER THE ABORTED TKOF IN ACFT X AND RETURN TO THE GATE; WE WERE GIVEN ANOTHER ACFT Y. DURING PREFLT PLANNING IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF THE 'SPOILER' ALERT LIGHT ILLUMINATING ON BOTH THE EICAS AND OVERHEAD. DURING PREFLT OF THE ACFT AND SHORTLY BEFORE OUR PLANNED DEP; WE NOTICED THE AUTO LAND STATUS ANNUNCIATOR HAD 'NO LAND 3' IN THE LOWER WINDOW. WE TRIED SWITCHING PWR FROM GND TO APU TO SEE IF IT WOULD GO AWAY. THAT DID NOT HELP. NOT SEEING ANYTHING ELSE OUT OF ORDER; WE NOTIFIED LCL MAINT AND ENTERED THE DEFECT IN ACARS. MAINT CAME RIGHT OUT TO THE ACFT. DURING THEIR INITIAL COCKPIT VISIT; THE 'NO LAND 3' WENT AWAY ON ITS OWN. THE MECH LEFT TO CLOSE THE DEFECT AND ISSUE A NEW MAINT RELEASE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE ANNUNCIATION REAPPEARED. WE NOTIFIED MAINT AND REENTERED THE MAINT RELEASE. DUE TO FAVORABLE WX ENRTE AND AT BOTH THE DEP ARPT AND DEST; I WAS AGREEABLE TO A DEFERRAL IF ONE COULD BE LEGALLY MADE. THE MECH DID SOME TESTING IN THE E BAY AND DISCOVERED A FAULT ON THE L FCC. WE DEFERRED THE L FCC AND DEPARTED THE GATE. AS WE APCHED RWY 1R AGAIN; THE FO CALLED TO MY ATTN THE 'SPOILER' ALERT ON EICAS AND WE NOTED THE 'SPOILER' LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL ILLUMINATED. WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AND CONTACTED MAINT CTL. MAINT CTL HAD ME PULL AND RESET; ONE AT A TIME; CIRCUIT BREAKERS C6; 7; 8; 9; AND G17; 18; 27; 28. THE LIGHT DID NOT CLR. MAINT CTL SAID WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE GATE FOR FURTHER EVAL. UPON ARR AT THE GATE; LCL MAINT CAME UP AND RECYCLED THE SAME CIRCUIT BREAKERS AGAIN. NO HELP. THE MECHS BEGAN DOING SOME DIAGNOSTIC WORK. AFTER ABOUT AN HR AND HALF; CUST SVC DEPLANED THE PAX. ABOUT THIS TIME; MAINT INFORMED ME THE SPOILER LIGHT HAD GONE OUT. THE LEAD MECH ASKED ME IF I WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT THE ACFT FOR FLT. I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHY THE SPOILER ALERTS KEPT HAPPENING? HE DID NOT. I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHY THE LIGHT HAD CORRECTED ITSELF. HE DID NOT. AT THAT POINT I NOTIFIED DISPATCH I WAS REFUSING THE ACFT DUE TO THE CHRONIC; UNPREDICTABLE; AND UNKNOWN NATURE OF THE MAINT PROB. I ASKED DISPATCH TO ENTER MY REFUSAL IN THE LOG. HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING THE MAINT COMPUTER TO ACCEPT THE REFUSAL ENTRY; BUT PROMISED TO GET IT DONE. HE STATED HE WOULD ALSO MAKE SURE THAT PAX SVC KNEW OF MY REFUSAL. UPON LATER REVIEW OF THE LOG HISTORY IN MAINT COMPUTER; I DID NOT SEE WHERE DISPATCH HAD ENTERED MY REFUSAL INTO THE OFFICIAL LOG. WE WERE THEN ASSIGNED ACFT Z AND FINALLY MADE IT TO ZZZ BY XS20.

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.