Narrative:

In phl, maintenance discovered a crack in a hydraulic reservoir. They failed to enter the problem in the logbook, or ground the aircraft. The crew flew the aircraft from phl-cae-mia with no knowledge of the mechanical problem. In mia we were informed of the defect. It appears that maintenance wanted to fix the airplane in mia, and kept the crew in the dark in order to get the aircraft to mia. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a dc 8-73 freighter when he was informed of a hydraulic problem by his company operations personnel as he approached mia. He had previously been unaware of a hydraulic problem and the flight crew began questioning how the mia personnel knew of the problem. The company management finally admitted that the crack in the central supply reservoir had been discovered in phl several legs prior to this crew taking over the aircraft. The reporter thinks that the management made a decision that the aircraft could be more conveniently repaired in mia and that the risk of a complete supply loss was not great. The flight crew is not in agreement with that assessment, however they did not consider themselves in extreme danger. The MEL however, does not permit operations in this condition. The aircraft was repaired and put back into service in mia.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAR -- AIRLINE MAINT POLICY -- ACR MECHS CONCEAL A MAINT DISCREPANCY FROM THE FLC SO THE ACFT WILL DEPART AS SCHEDULED.

Narrative: IN PHL, MAINT DISCOVERED A CRACK IN A HYD RESERVOIR. THEY FAILED TO ENTER THE PROB IN THE LOGBOOK, OR GND THE ACFT. THE CREW FLEW THE ACFT FROM PHL-CAE-MIA WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE MECHANICAL PROB. IN MIA WE WERE INFORMED OF THE DEFECT. IT APPEARS THAT MAINT WANTED TO FIX THE AIRPLANE IN MIA, AND KEPT THE CREW IN THE DARK IN ORDER TO GET THE ACFT TO MIA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A DC 8-73 FREIGHTER WHEN HE WAS INFORMED OF A HYD PROB BY HIS COMPANY OPS PERSONNEL AS HE APCHED MIA. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN UNAWARE OF A HYD PROB AND THE FLC BEGAN QUESTIONING HOW THE MIA PERSONNEL KNEW OF THE PROB. THE COMPANY MGMNT FINALLY ADMITTED THAT THE CRACK IN THE CENTRAL SUPPLY RESERVOIR HAD BEEN DISCOVERED IN PHL SEVERAL LEGS PRIOR TO THIS CREW TAKING OVER THE ACFT. THE RPTR THINKS THAT THE MGMNT MADE A DECISION THAT THE ACFT COULD BE MORE CONVENIENTLY REPAIRED IN MIA AND THAT THE RISK OF A COMPLETE SUPPLY LOSS WAS NOT GREAT. THE FLC IS NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT ASSESSMENT, HOWEVER THEY DID NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES IN EXTREME DANGER. THE MEL HOWEVER, DOES NOT PERMIT OPS IN THIS CONDITION. THE ACFT WAS REPAIRED AND PUT BACK INTO SVC IN MIA.

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.