Narrative:

Upon arriving of aircraft at the gate in providence, which is not a station with company maintenance personnel, an 'inoperative' light was illuminated for one of the two automatic-pressurization system. I called the dispatcher who patched me to the maintenance coordinator. The maintenance coordinator said I could try to reset the system and told me where to find the reset button. Before attempting to reset the system I asked him at least twice if it was legal for me to do so, and was told it was since 'no tools are required.' after pushing the button to reset, the 'inoperative' light was extinguished and system was back to normal. The maintenance coordinator then told me to write it in the logbook so as to provide a record for monitoring a trend, and a mechanic would address the write-up at the next maintenance station. The maintenance coordinator then sent a teletype message indicating approval for continued operation. The flight was conducted uneventfully, the system worked normally. Upon arriving at the destination, which was a maintenance station, the line mechanic who addressed the write-up indicated that it was 'highly irregular' for the maintenance coordinator to have me reset the system. This caused me some concern and made me wonder if I had inadvertently done something wrong by resetting the system even though directed to do so by maintenance. Pilots at my airline are allowed to do certain minor things not requiring tools in the field when directed by maintenance, and I assumed this system reset was allowable in light of my multiple queries as to the legality. However, the subsequent reaction by the line mechanic caused me to question that assumption. Due to the varying opinions I have since observed on the matter, I will pursue alternative remedies, such as having maintenance personnel place the system on mco status (maintenance carry-over -- deferred item) or other appropriate and approved action, should I encounter the situation in the future. But at the time, I felt that a simple reset requiring one finger to push a button as directed, which if effective would restore full redundancy to the pressurization system, was prudent and in the interest of maximizing the margin of safety.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 CREW MEMBER QUESTIONS THE LEGALITY OF RESETTING THE AUTO PRESSURE CTLR RESET BUTTON, PER THE MAINT CTLR INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING OF ACFT AT THE GATE IN PROVIDENCE, WHICH IS NOT A STATION WITH COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL, AN 'INOP' LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED FOR ONE OF THE TWO AUTO-PRESSURIZATION SYS. I CALLED THE DISPATCHER WHO PATCHED ME TO THE MAINT COORDINATOR. THE MAINT COORDINATOR SAID I COULD TRY TO RESET THE SYS AND TOLD ME WHERE TO FIND THE RESET BUTTON. BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO RESET THE SYS I ASKED HIM AT LEAST TWICE IF IT WAS LEGAL FOR ME TO DO SO, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS SINCE 'NO TOOLS ARE REQUIRED.' AFTER PUSHING THE BUTTON TO RESET, THE 'INOP' LIGHT WAS EXTINGUISHED AND SYS WAS BACK TO NORMAL. THE MAINT COORDINATOR THEN TOLD ME TO WRITE IT IN THE LOGBOOK SO AS TO PROVIDE A RECORD FOR MONITORING A TREND, AND A MECH WOULD ADDRESS THE WRITE-UP AT THE NEXT MAINT STATION. THE MAINT COORDINATOR THEN SENT A TELETYPE MESSAGE INDICATING APPROVAL FOR CONTINUED OP. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED UNEVENTFULLY, THE SYS WORKED NORMALLY. UPON ARRIVING AT THE DEST, WHICH WAS A MAINT STATION, THE LINE MECH WHO ADDRESSED THE WRITE-UP INDICATED THAT IT WAS 'HIGHLY IRREGULAR' FOR THE MAINT COORDINATOR TO HAVE ME RESET THE SYS. THIS CAUSED ME SOME CONCERN AND MADE ME WONDER IF I HAD INADVERTENTLY DONE SOMETHING WRONG BY RESETTING THE SYS EVEN THOUGH DIRECTED TO DO SO BY MAINT. PLTS AT MY AIRLINE ARE ALLOWED TO DO CERTAIN MINOR THINGS NOT REQUIRING TOOLS IN THE FIELD WHEN DIRECTED BY MAINT, AND I ASSUMED THIS SYS RESET WAS ALLOWABLE IN LIGHT OF MY MULTIPLE QUERIES AS TO THE LEGALITY. HOWEVER, THE SUBSEQUENT REACTION BY THE LINE MECH CAUSED ME TO QUESTION THAT ASSUMPTION. DUE TO THE VARYING OPINIONS I HAVE SINCE OBSERVED ON THE MATTER, I WILL PURSUE ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES, SUCH AS HAVING MAINT PERSONNEL PLACE THE SYS ON MCO STATUS (MAINT CARRY-OVER -- DEFERRED ITEM) OR OTHER APPROPRIATE AND APPROVED ACTION, SHOULD I ENCOUNTER THE SIT IN THE FUTURE. BUT AT THE TIME, I FELT THAT A SIMPLE RESET REQUIRING ONE FINGER TO PUSH A BUTTON AS DIRECTED, WHICH IF EFFECTIVE WOULD RESTORE FULL REDUNDANCY TO THE PRESSURIZATION SYS, WAS PRUDENT AND IN THE INTEREST OF MAXIMIZING THE MARGIN OF SAFETY.

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.