Narrative:

After overnighting at a local maintenance station, we arrived at the aircraft for an early morning departure. I began my preflight activities and discovered that local maintenance had not returned the logbook to the aircraft yet (a common situation). At about 10 mins prior to scheduled departure time, I asked the first officer to call operations and ask maintenance to bring the aircraft maintenance log out to us. I received the logbook about 5-7 mins prior to departure time. I noted that local maintenance had performed a routine daily (24 hour) check as required, a full power takeoff had been done within prescribed time limits, several MEL's over the last few days had been properly cleared, and referring to the previous logbook (since the current book was started very recently) checked for an 'airworthiness' signoff about 6 days ago. Everything appeared in order so we departed. En route I started to enter our flight into the logbook, and while reviewing previous pages again, I noticed an inspection had been done by another maintenance base a few days prior. This particular inspection is generally accompanied by a signoff in an 'airworthiness certification' box. The inspection was signed as complete but the airworthiness box was not. Upon arrival at destination (a heavy maintenance station) I brought my concern to the attention of maintenance and was informed that that particular inspection required a signature in the airworthiness box. The omission of a signature by the mechanic represented a technical legality question. Being one of a number of PF that aircraft since that inspection, the question of legality has become a problem for me as well as the company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OPERATED ACFT WHEN IT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY SIGNED OFF AS AIRWORTHY AFTER A REQUIRED INSPECTION.

Narrative: AFTER OVERNIGHTING AT A LCL MAINT STATION, WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT FOR AN EARLY MORNING DEP. I BEGAN MY PREFLT ACTIVITIES AND DISCOVERED THAT LCL MAINT HAD NOT RETURNED THE LOGBOOK TO THE ACFT YET (A COMMON SIT). AT ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP TIME, I ASKED THE FO TO CALL OPS AND ASK MAINT TO BRING THE ACFT MAINT LOG OUT TO US. I RECEIVED THE LOGBOOK ABOUT 5-7 MINS PRIOR TO DEP TIME. I NOTED THAT LCL MAINT HAD PERFORMED A ROUTINE DAILY (24 HR) CHK AS REQUIRED, A FULL PWR TKOF HAD BEEN DONE WITHIN PRESCRIBED TIME LIMITS, SEVERAL MEL'S OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS HAD BEEN PROPERLY CLRED, AND REFERRING TO THE PREVIOUS LOGBOOK (SINCE THE CURRENT BOOK WAS STARTED VERY RECENTLY) CHKED FOR AN 'AIRWORTHINESS' SIGNOFF ABOUT 6 DAYS AGO. EVERYTHING APPEARED IN ORDER SO WE DEPARTED. ENRTE I STARTED TO ENTER OUR FLT INTO THE LOGBOOK, AND WHILE REVIEWING PREVIOUS PAGES AGAIN, I NOTICED AN INSPECTION HAD BEEN DONE BY ANOTHER MAINT BASE A FEW DAYS PRIOR. THIS PARTICULAR INSPECTION IS GENERALLY ACCOMPANIED BY A SIGNOFF IN AN 'AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION' BOX. THE INSPECTION WAS SIGNED AS COMPLETE BUT THE AIRWORTHINESS BOX WAS NOT. UPON ARR AT DEST (A HVY MAINT STATION) I BROUGHT MY CONCERN TO THE ATTN OF MAINT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THAT PARTICULAR INSPECTION REQUIRED A SIGNATURE IN THE AIRWORTHINESS BOX. THE OMISSION OF A SIGNATURE BY THE MECH REPRESENTED A TECHNICAL LEGALITY QUESTION. BEING ONE OF A NUMBER OF PF THAT ACFT SINCE THAT INSPECTION, THE QUESTION OF LEGALITY HAS BECOME A PROB FOR ME AS WELL AS THE COMPANY.

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.