Narrative:

On the morning of apr/xa/98, an incident occurred at air carrier in ZZZ, us, with a DC8-63 aircraft. I am compelled to disclose this incident with the hope that this never happens again. I was preflting flight #zyx to XXX, aircraft YYY. While performing my exterior walkaround I found that the right fuel dump chute uplatch warning flag was extended, what appeared to be a little more than 1/2 inch below the surface of the wing. I entered the discrepancy in the aircraft logbook dated apr/xa/98, as follows: 'the right fuel dump chute flag is extended below the surface of the wing.' I notified maintenance of the discrepancy and maintenance responded to our aircraft. They performed the initial check the same as our abnormal calls for and then rechked the warning flag. It had not moved so maintenance ask for the flaps to be lowered so they could inspect further. Nothing abnormal was noted so maintenance proceeded to the right main gear wheel well for further inspection. Upon a quick look declared that the cable system was intact and announced their intention to cut off the exposed portion of the warning flag. I was present under the wing alongside maintenance. After hearing their intention to cut off the exposed portion of the flag, I asked 'is that an authority/authorized maintenance procedure to cut off the flag?' the mechanic did not respond to my question and immediately called on his radio for a couple of maintenance supervisors to respond to aircraft YYY and to request the chief pilot to respond as well. I again asked the question several times and the mechanic refused to answer the question. I watched another mechanic proceed to reel out their air hose from their maintenance vehicle, connect a small air driven circular saw to the hose and proceeded to climb up the ladder and cut what appeared to be more than 1/2 inch of the warning flag off. I then proceeded back to the cockpit to inform my captain of what had taken place and to let him know that a couple of maintenance supervisors and a chief pilot were on their way out to our aircraft. DC9 chief pilot abcd met with the 2 maintenance supervisors and the mechanic aft of the cockpit and was briefed on the situation. They then entered the cockpit and abcd asked me what the problem was. I responded with the question 'are you qualified on the DC8?' to which abcd responds that he flew the DC8 for 8 months, at which time I asked again, 'are you qualified on the DC8?' because as I went on to explain, if he were not current and qualified on the DC8, that it would just be a waste of time to try to explain a mechanical problem to someone who had 'no tally no clue' whether there was a problem or not. I then directed the same question I asked of the mechanic to the 2 maintenance supervisors, 'is that an authority/authorized maintenance procedure to cut off the warning flag?' again I got no response to the question. I asked again and again. I suppose I must have asked that question more than a dozen times and maintenance flat refused to give me an answer to that question. I then asked abcd 'why everyone was evading answering a very simple question.' his response was to ask my captain if he had problem accepting the aircraft. Captain's response was something to the effect, 'is it signed off in the logbook?' abcd then turns to me and says 'your captain doesn't have a problem with accepting the aircraft and you're just the so and you (as he's shaking his finger at me) are delaying this flight' I felt threatened at that point that if I did not close the door and strap in and press on to XXX that I was in jeopardy of being fired. My response to this was, 'fine, I guess we'll let the FAA figure this out.' the supervisors left and abcd left. As the mechanic passes up the logbook, he, too, turns around and starts to leave the aircraft. I open the logbook to read how they signed it off and I had to yell at the mechanic to get back into the cockpit as the corrective action was not legible. I informed him the corrective action was not legible and requested he read to me what it said. He tells me they 'verified right side fuel dump chute was in the up position and inspected cables. No defect found. Adjusted flag to indicate dump chute is up in accordance with DC8 maintenance manual.' he thenleft the aircraft. We closed the door, ran our checklists and pressed on to XXX. After passing 10000 ft and climbing to our cruise altitude, our aircraft was cell called. Flight control informed me that I was to give the chief pilot a call as soon as I get to XXX. I asked which chief pilot was I to call and flight control informed me that I was to call chief pilot xbxa. I acknowledged and we continued on to XXX. When I made the call to xbxa, he indicated he wanted to know what happened in ZZZ. I told him what I have just written here in this report. He tells me that abcd seemed to think I was dragging my feet trying to delay the flight. I informed xbxa that I was just trying to get an answer to my question. Our conversation ended with xbxa saying he would research this and get back with me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the act of cutting off the warning flag without determining if the entire cable system was intact was not in any maintenance manual procedure. The reporter said the aircraft was stopped 4 days later by the FAA for a positive fix to the right dump chute.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8-63 WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN UNAUTH AND UNAPPROVED REPAIR ACCOMPLISHED TO THE R FUEL DUMP CHUTE.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF APR/XA/98, AN INCIDENT OCCURRED AT ACR IN ZZZ, US, WITH A DC8-63 ACFT. I AM COMPELLED TO DISCLOSE THIS INCIDENT WITH THE HOPE THAT THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. I WAS PREFLTING FLT #ZYX TO XXX, ACFT YYY. WHILE PERFORMING MY EXTERIOR WALKAROUND I FOUND THAT THE R FUEL DUMP CHUTE UPLATCH WARNING FLAG WAS EXTENDED, WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LITTLE MORE THAN 1/2 INCH BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WING. I ENTERED THE DISCREPANCY IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK DATED APR/XA/98, AS FOLLOWS: 'THE R FUEL DUMP CHUTE FLAG IS EXTENDED BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WING.' I NOTIFIED MAINT OF THE DISCREPANCY AND MAINT RESPONDED TO OUR ACFT. THEY PERFORMED THE INITIAL CHK THE SAME AS OUR ABNORMAL CALLS FOR AND THEN RECHKED THE WARNING FLAG. IT HAD NOT MOVED SO MAINT ASK FOR THE FLAPS TO BE LOWERED SO THEY COULD INSPECT FURTHER. NOTHING ABNORMAL WAS NOTED SO MAINT PROCEEDED TO THE R MAIN GEAR WHEEL WELL FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. UPON A QUICK LOOK DECLARED THAT THE CABLE SYS WAS INTACT AND ANNOUNCED THEIR INTENTION TO CUT OFF THE EXPOSED PORTION OF THE WARNING FLAG. I WAS PRESENT UNDER THE WING ALONGSIDE MAINT. AFTER HEARING THEIR INTENTION TO CUT OFF THE EXPOSED PORTION OF THE FLAG, I ASKED 'IS THAT AN AUTH MAINT PROC TO CUT OFF THE FLAG?' THE MECH DID NOT RESPOND TO MY QUESTION AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED ON HIS RADIO FOR A COUPLE OF MAINT SUPVRS TO RESPOND TO ACFT YYY AND TO REQUEST THE CHIEF PLT TO RESPOND AS WELL. I AGAIN ASKED THE QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES AND THE MECH REFUSED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. I WATCHED ANOTHER MECH PROCEED TO REEL OUT THEIR AIR HOSE FROM THEIR MAINT VEHICLE, CONNECT A SMALL AIR DRIVEN CIRCULAR SAW TO THE HOSE AND PROCEEDED TO CLB UP THE LADDER AND CUT WHAT APPEARED TO BE MORE THAN 1/2 INCH OF THE WARNING FLAG OFF. I THEN PROCEEDED BACK TO THE COCKPIT TO INFORM MY CAPT OF WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE AND TO LET HIM KNOW THAT A COUPLE OF MAINT SUPVRS AND A CHIEF PLT WERE ON THEIR WAY OUT TO OUR ACFT. DC9 CHIEF PLT ABCD MET WITH THE 2 MAINT SUPVRS AND THE MECH AFT OF THE COCKPIT AND WAS BRIEFED ON THE SIT. THEY THEN ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND ABCD ASKED ME WHAT THE PROB WAS. I RESPONDED WITH THE QUESTION 'ARE YOU QUALIFIED ON THE DC8?' TO WHICH ABCD RESPONDS THAT HE FLEW THE DC8 FOR 8 MONTHS, AT WHICH TIME I ASKED AGAIN, 'ARE YOU QUALIFIED ON THE DC8?' BECAUSE AS I WENT ON TO EXPLAIN, IF HE WERE NOT CURRENT AND QUALIFIED ON THE DC8, THAT IT WOULD JUST BE A WASTE OF TIME TO TRY TO EXPLAIN A MECHANICAL PROB TO SOMEONE WHO HAD 'NO TALLY NO CLUE' WHETHER THERE WAS A PROB OR NOT. I THEN DIRECTED THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED OF THE MECH TO THE 2 MAINT SUPVRS, 'IS THAT AN AUTH MAINT PROC TO CUT OFF THE WARNING FLAG?' AGAIN I GOT NO RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION. I ASKED AGAIN AND AGAIN. I SUPPOSE I MUST HAVE ASKED THAT QUESTION MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES AND MAINT FLAT REFUSED TO GIVE ME AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. I THEN ASKED ABCD 'WHY EVERYONE WAS EVADING ANSWERING A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.' HIS RESPONSE WAS TO ASK MY CAPT IF HE HAD PROB ACCEPTING THE ACFT. CAPT'S RESPONSE WAS SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT, 'IS IT SIGNED OFF IN THE LOGBOOK?' ABCD THEN TURNS TO ME AND SAYS 'YOUR CAPT DOESN'T HAVE A PROB WITH ACCEPTING THE ACFT AND YOU'RE JUST THE SO AND YOU (AS HE'S SHAKING HIS FINGER AT ME) ARE DELAYING THIS FLT' I FELT THREATENED AT THAT POINT THAT IF I DID NOT CLOSE THE DOOR AND STRAP IN AND PRESS ON TO XXX THAT I WAS IN JEOPARDY OF BEING FIRED. MY RESPONSE TO THIS WAS, 'FINE, I GUESS WE'LL LET THE FAA FIGURE THIS OUT.' THE SUPVRS LEFT AND ABCD LEFT. AS THE MECH PASSES UP THE LOGBOOK, HE, TOO, TURNS AROUND AND STARTS TO LEAVE THE ACFT. I OPEN THE LOGBOOK TO READ HOW THEY SIGNED IT OFF AND I HAD TO YELL AT THE MECH TO GET BACK INTO THE COCKPIT AS THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS NOT LEGIBLE. I INFORMED HIM THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS NOT LEGIBLE AND REQUESTED HE READ TO ME WHAT IT SAID. HE TELLS ME THEY 'VERIFIED R SIDE FUEL DUMP CHUTE WAS IN THE UP POS AND INSPECTED CABLES. NO DEFECT FOUND. ADJUSTED FLAG TO INDICATE DUMP CHUTE IS UP IN ACCORDANCE WITH DC8 MAINT MANUAL.' HE THENLEFT THE ACFT. WE CLOSED THE DOOR, RAN OUR CHKLISTS AND PRESSED ON TO XXX. AFTER PASSING 10000 FT AND CLBING TO OUR CRUISE ALT, OUR ACFT WAS CELL CALLED. FLT CTL INFORMED ME THAT I WAS TO GIVE THE CHIEF PLT A CALL AS SOON AS I GET TO XXX. I ASKED WHICH CHIEF PLT WAS I TO CALL AND FLT CTL INFORMED ME THAT I WAS TO CALL CHIEF PLT XBXA. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND WE CONTINUED ON TO XXX. WHEN I MADE THE CALL TO XBXA, HE INDICATED HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN ZZZ. I TOLD HIM WHAT I HAVE JUST WRITTEN HERE IN THIS RPT. HE TELLS ME THAT ABCD SEEMED TO THINK I WAS DRAGGING MY FEET TRYING TO DELAY THE FLT. I INFORMED XBXA THAT I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION. OUR CONVERSATION ENDED WITH XBXA SAYING HE WOULD RESEARCH THIS AND GET BACK WITH ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACT OF CUTTING OFF THE WARNING FLAG WITHOUT DETERMINING IF THE ENTIRE CABLE SYS WAS INTACT WAS NOT IN ANY MAINT MANUAL PROC. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS STOPPED 4 DAYS LATER BY THE FAA FOR A POSITIVE FIX TO THE R DUMP CHUTE.

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.