Narrative:

On feb/thu/97, I operated an ATR72 turboprop aircraft with an open mechanical write-up in the maintenance log. The write-up had to do with the emergency track lighting system in the floor of the passenger cabin. I did not intentionally operate this aircraft in this condition. It was an oversight on my part, and the fact that I had operated the aircraft in this condition was not brought to my attention until the following morning at approximately XZ00 CST. The chain of events that led up to the error are as follows. WX in the dfw area had most of our flts operating approximately 1 hour late. The aircraft we were to take to crp was to arrive approximately XG45 CST. We were originally scheduled for a XG10 CST departure. My crew and I arrived at the aircraft just after it had parked. Before the passenger on the aircraft could be boarded on their busses for the terminal, our passenger arrived in their bus. The catering truck/crew were there also, and the passenger cabin had to be catered and cleaned before passenger could be boarded. I went to the flight deck and began my duties. I had just opened and signed the maintenance log when the first officer pointed out that we did not have a fuel truck. This is when I made the mistake, I never finished my review of the maintenance log, but mentally I had completed this task. The open write-up was overlooked when I was distracted in the middle of my review and I thought the aircraft was clear of any open write- ups. From this point on the flight progressed as normally as any other flight...the passenger were boarded, door closed, engines started, taxi out, takeoff, etc... The discrepancy was discovered the next morning by the captain taking the aircraft out of crp. Maintenance was called and the write-up was addressed. The passenger were never in any immediate danger in regard to the mechanical discrepancy. It was not a critical item.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLEW AN ACFT WITH AN OPEN MAINT DISCREPANCY IN THE LOGBOOK. THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED THE NEXT DAY.

Narrative: ON FEB/THU/97, I OPERATED AN ATR72 TURBOPROP ACFT WITH AN OPEN MECHANICAL WRITE-UP IN THE MAINT LOG. THE WRITE-UP HAD TO DO WITH THE EMER TRACK LIGHTING SYS IN THE FLOOR OF THE PAX CABIN. I DID NOT INTENTIONALLY OPERATE THIS ACFT IN THIS CONDITION. IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT ON MY PART, AND THE FACT THAT I HAD OPERATED THE ACFT IN THIS CONDITION WAS NOT BROUGHT TO MY ATTN UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING AT APPROX XZ00 CST. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE ERROR ARE AS FOLLOWS. WX IN THE DFW AREA HAD MOST OF OUR FLTS OPERATING APPROX 1 HR LATE. THE ACFT WE WERE TO TAKE TO CRP WAS TO ARRIVE APPROX XG45 CST. WE WERE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR A XG10 CST DEP. MY CREW AND I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT JUST AFTER IT HAD PARKED. BEFORE THE PAX ON THE ACFT COULD BE BOARDED ON THEIR BUSSES FOR THE TERMINAL, OUR PAX ARRIVED IN THEIR BUS. THE CATERING TRUCK/CREW WERE THERE ALSO, AND THE PAX CABIN HAD TO BE CATERED AND CLEANED BEFORE PAX COULD BE BOARDED. I WENT TO THE FLT DECK AND BEGAN MY DUTIES. I HAD JUST OPENED AND SIGNED THE MAINT LOG WHEN THE FO POINTED OUT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A FUEL TRUCK. THIS IS WHEN I MADE THE MISTAKE, I NEVER FINISHED MY REVIEW OF THE MAINT LOG, BUT MENTALLY I HAD COMPLETED THIS TASK. THE OPEN WRITE-UP WAS OVERLOOKED WHEN I WAS DISTRACTED IN THE MIDDLE OF MY REVIEW AND I THOUGHT THE ACFT WAS CLR OF ANY OPEN WRITE- UPS. FROM THIS POINT ON THE FLT PROGRESSED AS NORMALLY AS ANY OTHER FLT...THE PAX WERE BOARDED, DOOR CLOSED, ENGS STARTED, TAXI OUT, TKOF, ETC... THE DISCREPANCY WAS DISCOVERED THE NEXT MORNING BY THE CAPT TAKING THE ACFT OUT OF CRP. MAINT WAS CALLED AND THE WRITE-UP WAS ADDRESSED. THE PAX WERE NEVER IN ANY IMMEDIATE DANGER IN REGARD TO THE MECHANICAL DISCREPANCY. IT WAS NOT A CRITICAL ITEM.

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.