A B727 was dispatched with an intermittent captain's vertical speed indicator.

Attributes
ACN	397225
Time
Date	199803
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : stl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	397225
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were supposed to fly this aircraft on scheduled flts from cvg to alb to pwm to alb to cvg. Upon taxi out for alb- pwm leg, captain's vsi failed. After troubleshooting on taxiway proved unsuccessful and we found it was a no go item, we returned to gate and called contract maintenance. The vsi just started working as we stopped at gate. He found nothing wrong, signed off logbook and we flew to pwm. Upon pushback in pwm for alb, vsi failed again. We returned to gate. It stayed out for 20 mins. Contract maintenance was called. I called the company maintenance coordinator and decision was made to ship part from bos because symptoms of trouble sounded like a failure mode. Part never made it as promised. Passenger were rerouted. Maintenance coordinator (new one) asked us to take plane if mechanic after inspecting everything signed it off. Said I would ferry it if vsi worked to the point of dispatch. He tried to talk me into taking aircraft under part 91 regardless of it working. I refused. We did take plane directly to cvg without passenger after mechanic had us start engines at gate and shift power back and forth without failure. When we shifted power to gate in cvg, vsi failed again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN INTERMITTENT CAPT'S VERT SPD INDICATOR.

Narrative: WE WERE SUPPOSED TO FLY THIS ACFT ON SCHEDULED FLTS FROM CVG TO ALB TO PWM TO ALB TO CVG. UPON TAXI OUT FOR ALB- PWM LEG, CAPT'S VSI FAILED. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING ON TXWY PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL AND WE FOUND IT WAS A NO GO ITEM, WE RETURNED TO GATE AND CALLED CONTRACT MAINT. THE VSI JUST STARTED WORKING AS WE STOPPED AT GATE. HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG, SIGNED OFF LOGBOOK AND WE FLEW TO PWM. UPON PUSHBACK IN PWM FOR ALB, VSI FAILED AGAIN. WE RETURNED TO GATE. IT STAYED OUT FOR 20 MINS. CONTRACT MAINT WAS CALLED. I CALLED THE COMPANY MAINT COORDINATOR AND DECISION WAS MADE TO SHIP PART FROM BOS BECAUSE SYMPTOMS OF TROUBLE SOUNDED LIKE A FAILURE MODE. PART NEVER MADE IT AS PROMISED. PAX WERE REROUTED. MAINT COORDINATOR (NEW ONE) ASKED US TO TAKE PLANE IF MECH AFTER INSPECTING EVERYTHING SIGNED IT OFF. SAID I WOULD FERRY IT IF VSI WORKED TO THE POINT OF DISPATCH. HE TRIED TO TALK ME INTO TAKING ACFT UNDER PART 91 REGARDLESS OF IT WORKING. I REFUSED. WE DID TAKE PLANE DIRECTLY TO CVG WITHOUT PAX AFTER MECH HAD US START ENGS AT GATE AND SHIFT PWR BACK AND FORTH WITHOUT FAILURE. WHEN WE SHIFTED PWR TO GATE IN CVG, VSI FAILED AGAIN.

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.