<< >> NASA ASRS Report 365893, April 1997

MD88 aircraft parked at gate. Reporter captain found left reverser accumulator low light on and contacted company maintenance coordinator by telephone since they were at a non maintenance station. Maintenance coordinator wanted reporter captain to pressurize the accumulator with hydraulic pumps to put the light out. A fleet specialist stated that it was a misconception and only masked the problem. Reporter says that the mentality to get the flight out is causing less than adequate mechanical expertise.

Attributes
ACN	365893
Time
Date	199704
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind
State Reference	IN
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	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time total : 9000
ASRS Report	365893
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On preflight found left reverser accumulator low light on. Since this was non maintenance station, called maintenance coordinator. He tried to talk me into turning on hydraulic pumps to make light go out. Per telephone conversation and correspondence with our fleet specialist, he stated that this was a misconception and that it only masked the problem. First officer said that he was also being taught same wrong procedure by flight training. This is part of the 'move the metal' mentality and the deterioration of our mechanical expertise at the decision level.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 ACFT PARKED AT GATE. RPTR CAPT FOUND L REVERSER ACCUMULATOR LOW LIGHT ON AND CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT COORDINATOR BY TELEPHONE SINCE THEY WERE AT A NON MAINT STATION. MAINT COORDINATOR WANTED RPTR CAPT TO PRESSURIZE THE ACCUMULATOR WITH HYD PUMPS TO PUT THE LIGHT OUT. A FLEET SPECIALIST STATED THAT IT WAS A MISCONCEPTION AND ONLY MASKED THE PROB. RPTR SAYS THAT THE MENTALITY TO GET THE FLT OUT IS CAUSING LESS THAN ADEQUATE MECHANICAL EXPERTISE.

Narrative: ON PREFLT FOUND L REVERSER ACCUMULATOR LOW LIGHT ON. SINCE THIS WAS NON MAINT STATION, CALLED MAINT COORDINATOR. HE TRIED TO TALK ME INTO TURNING ON HYD PUMPS TO MAKE LIGHT GO OUT. PER TELEPHONE CONVERSATION AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH OUR FLEET SPECIALIST, HE STATED THAT THIS WAS A MISCONCEPTION AND THAT IT ONLY MASKED THE PROB. FO SAID THAT HE WAS ALSO BEING TAUGHT SAME WRONG PROC BY FLT TRAINING. THIS IS PART OF THE 'MOVE THE METAL' MENTALITY AND THE DETERIORATION OF OUR MECHANICAL EXPERTISE AT THE DECISION LEVEL.

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.