Commuter captain's report on attempted coercion by chief pilot.

Attributes
ACN	292864
Time
Date	199501
Day	Wed
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : parked landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	292864
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After completing a revenue flight, made entry into maintenance log concerning RPM change on #2 engine. The next day, the chief pilot called my first officer into his office and grilled him about the write-up. He then called me in and accused me of trying to disrupt the operations. He also told me my first officer had said the write-up was bogus (the first officer had already discussed his visit to the chief pilot with me). I reminded the chief pilot of my last discussion with him about mechanical problems. I had refused an aircraft which had been written up by another captain for high oil temperature on #1 engine. A mechanic had removed the sending unit, wiped it clean and signed it off. I refused the aircraft because there were indications of an overheat -- the wire wrap on several wiring harnesses had melted. When this aircraft was taxied to the hangar, the oil temperature was too high. A bleed air leak was discovered in the engine compartment. The chief pilot had stated that if mechanic signs off the aircraft, the pilot has to accept it. I informed him that the pilot is the final authority/authorized as to determining the safety of the aircraft. Note: this previous incident has already been submitted to ASRS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER CAPT'S RPT ON ATTEMPTED COERCION BY CHIEF PLT.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING A REVENUE FLT, MADE ENTRY INTO MAINT LOG CONCERNING RPM CHANGE ON #2 ENG. THE NEXT DAY, THE CHIEF PLT CALLED MY FO INTO HIS OFFICE AND GRILLED HIM ABOUT THE WRITE-UP. HE THEN CALLED ME IN AND ACCUSED ME OF TRYING TO DISRUPT THE OPS. HE ALSO TOLD ME MY FO HAD SAID THE WRITE-UP WAS BOGUS (THE FO HAD ALREADY DISCUSSED HIS VISIT TO THE CHIEF PLT WITH ME). I REMINDED THE CHIEF PLT OF MY LAST DISCUSSION WITH HIM ABOUT MECHANICAL PROBS. I HAD REFUSED AN ACFT WHICH HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP BY ANOTHER CAPT FOR HIGH OIL TEMP ON #1 ENG. A MECH HAD REMOVED THE SENDING UNIT, WIPED IT CLEAN AND SIGNED IT OFF. I REFUSED THE ACFT BECAUSE THERE WERE INDICATIONS OF AN OVERHEAT -- THE WIRE WRAP ON SEVERAL WIRING HARNESSES HAD MELTED. WHEN THIS ACFT WAS TAXIED TO THE HANGAR, THE OIL TEMP WAS TOO HIGH. A BLEED AIR LEAK WAS DISCOVERED IN THE ENG COMPARTMENT. THE CHIEF PLT HAD STATED THAT IF MECH SIGNS OFF THE ACFT, THE PLT HAS TO ACCEPT IT. I INFORMED HIM THAT THE PLT IS THE FINAL AUTH AS TO DETERMINING THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT. NOTE: THIS PREVIOUS INCIDENT HAS ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED TO ASRS.

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.