Aircraft operated without flight recorder. Violation of far's.

Attributes
ACN	204592
Time
Date	199203
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	204592
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We had just finished a 2 day trip in sfo with myself flying as a first officer in aircraft. (Currently captain qualified). I then switched to left seat as captain, with a new pilot as first officer, and flew the same aircraft from sfo to sba and return, which completed my flying for the day. I was later informed that the captain which I flew with on mar/sat/92 had not taken notice of an open mechanical entry in the flight log by the previous pilot of that aircraft. The entry was for an inoperative flight data recorder. I had similarly missed the open entry the next day when I took over as captain, as had the next captain after myself. The psychology of transferring from right seat to left seat on the same aircraft had no doubt affected the thoroughness of my preflight duties when I switched seats (unfortunately, the use of capts to fly as first officer's is being done on a regular basis by this airline, with little regard as to how this situation affects the effectiveness of the crew as a team). Switching roles from captain to first officer and back to captain again in so short a time span conflicted and interfered with my captain's roles of judgement and responsibility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT OPERATED WITHOUT FLT RECORDER. VIOLATION OF FAR'S.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST FINISHED A 2 DAY TRIP IN SFO WITH MYSELF FLYING AS A FO IN ACFT. (CURRENTLY CAPT QUALIFIED). I THEN SWITCHED TO L SEAT AS CAPT, WITH A NEW PLT AS FO, AND FLEW THE SAME ACFT FROM SFO TO SBA AND RETURN, WHICH COMPLETED MY FLYING FOR THE DAY. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE CAPT WHICH I FLEW WITH ON MAR/SAT/92 HAD NOT TAKEN NOTICE OF AN OPEN MECHANICAL ENTRY IN THE FLT LOG BY THE PREVIOUS PLT OF THAT ACFT. THE ENTRY WAS FOR AN INOP FLT DATA RECORDER. I HAD SIMILARLY MISSED THE OPEN ENTRY THE NEXT DAY WHEN I TOOK OVER AS CAPT, AS HAD THE NEXT CAPT AFTER MYSELF. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TRANSFERRING FROM R SEAT TO L SEAT ON THE SAME ACFT HAD NO DOUBT AFFECTED THE THOROUGHNESS OF MY PREFLT DUTIES WHEN I SWITCHED SEATS (UNFORTUNATELY, THE USE OF CAPTS TO FLY AS FO'S IS BEING DONE ON A REGULAR BASIS BY THIS AIRLINE, WITH LITTLE REGARD AS TO HOW THIS SITUATION AFFECTS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CREW AS A TEAM). SWITCHING ROLES FROM CAPT TO FO AND BACK TO CAPT AGAIN IN SO SHORT A TIME SPAN CONFLICTED AND INTERFERED WITH MY CAPT'S ROLES OF JUDGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.