Narrative:

On mar/mon/92, I flew flight from lax to ewr. The aircraft was loaded with ample fuel for the forecast en route winds and destination WX. During my cockpit preflight inspection, I made a mental note of the check CAT ii status on both the captain and first officer's annunciator. Later, during cruise, the actual winds differed from the forecast winds, increasing the fuel burn. While approaching the ewr area, the WX at ewr deteriorated to below mins, resulting in a diversion to phl. The #2 autoplt was used on the approach to phl with the intent of accomplishing a CAT ii check. The approach was considered sat and annotated as such in the aircraft logbook. Upon arrival in phl, I requested the mechanic sign off the logbook on the CAT ii check. He advised me he was not qualified to sign off the logbook or change the CAT ii status annunciator. At this time, I notified system control of the satisfactory CAT ii approach so they could dispatch me to ewr, which, at the time, had very low mins. Maintenance control gave me a verbal approval to take the aircraft to ewr. Upon arrival in ewr, the so (without informing me) made an additional write up in the logbook, and, for some reason, indicated that the write up had taken place in phl. I would like to bring your attention to the following: I conducted a CAT ii check at phl and annotated it as satisfactory in the logbook as per section 4 of the widebody transport flight manual. Please note that 'check CAT ii' is a request by maintenance for a flight crew to conduct an airborne evaluation of the aircraft's ability to successfully fly a CAT ii approach under simulated CAT ii conditions. The flight manual says: 'if the approach was satisfactory, sign it off in the logbook. At air carrier maintenance, the status annunciator will be changed to CAT ii. At non maintenance stations, notify system control of the satisfactory approach. This will allow us to dispatch to the next station that may be forecasting CAT ii WX without changing the status annunciator. The annunciator will be changed at the next maintenance station.' since I diverted due to WX below mins at ewr, I felt it only prudent to conduct a CAT ii check in phl so as to improve the feasibility of being dispatched to ewr at a later time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEPARTS STATION WITH 'CLEAN' LOGBOOK BUT SO MAKES WRITE UP AT DEST ARPT APPEARING AS IF THE WRITE UP HAD BEEN PERFORMED AT DEP ARPT.

Narrative: ON MAR/MON/92, I FLEW FLT FROM LAX TO EWR. THE ACFT WAS LOADED WITH AMPLE FUEL FOR THE FORECAST ENRTE WINDS AND DEST WX. DURING MY COCKPIT PREFLT INSPECTION, I MADE A MENTAL NOTE OF THE CHK CAT II STATUS ON BOTH THE CAPT AND FO'S ANNUNCIATOR. LATER, DURING CRUISE, THE ACTUAL WINDS DIFFERED FROM THE FORECAST WINDS, INCREASING THE FUEL BURN. WHILE APCHING THE EWR AREA, THE WX AT EWR DETERIORATED TO BELOW MINS, RESULTING IN A DIVERSION TO PHL. THE #2 AUTOPLT WAS USED ON THE APCH TO PHL WITH THE INTENT OF ACCOMPLISHING A CAT II CHK. THE APCH WAS CONSIDERED SAT AND ANNOTATED AS SUCH IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. UPON ARR IN PHL, I REQUESTED THE MECH SIGN OFF THE LOGBOOK ON THE CAT II CHK. HE ADVISED ME HE WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO SIGN OFF THE LOGBOOK OR CHANGE THE CAT II STATUS ANNUNCIATOR. AT THIS TIME, I NOTIFIED SYS CTL OF THE SATISFACTORY CAT II APCH SO THEY COULD DISPATCH ME TO EWR, WHICH, AT THE TIME, HAD VERY LOW MINS. MAINT CTL GAVE ME A VERBAL APPROVAL TO TAKE THE ACFT TO EWR. UPON ARR IN EWR, THE SO (WITHOUT INFORMING ME) MADE AN ADDITIONAL WRITE UP IN THE LOGBOOK, AND, FOR SOME REASON, INDICATED THAT THE WRITE UP HAD TAKEN PLACE IN PHL. I WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTN TO THE FOLLOWING: I CONDUCTED A CAT II CHK AT PHL AND ANNOTATED IT AS SATISFACTORY IN THE LOGBOOK AS PER SECTION 4 OF THE WDB FLT MANUAL. PLEASE NOTE THAT 'CHK CAT II' IS A REQUEST BY MAINT FOR A FLC TO CONDUCT AN AIRBORNE EVALUATION OF THE ACFT'S ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY FLY A CAT II APCH UNDER SIMULATED CAT II CONDITIONS. THE FLT MANUAL SAYS: 'IF THE APCH WAS SATISFACTORY, SIGN IT OFF IN THE LOGBOOK. AT ACR MAINT, THE STATUS ANNUNCIATOR WILL BE CHANGED TO CAT II. AT NON MAINT STATIONS, NOTIFY SYS CTL OF THE SATISFACTORY APCH. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO DISPATCH TO THE NEXT STATION THAT MAY BE FORECASTING CAT II WX WITHOUT CHANGING THE STATUS ANNUNCIATOR. THE ANNUNCIATOR WILL BE CHANGED AT THE NEXT MAINT STATION.' SINCE I DIVERTED DUE TO WX BELOW MINS AT EWR, I FELT IT ONLY PRUDENT TO CONDUCT A CAT II CHK IN PHL SO AS TO IMPROVE THE FEASIBILITY OF BEING DISPATCHED TO EWR AT A LATER TIME.

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.