Narrative:

On this day I and my crew flew an airline B727 from jacksonville navy to guantanamo, cuba. After landing the tailskid compression indicator was found sheared off and hanging from its chain. Whether it happened there or was done previously by someone else I'm still not certain. Our onboard flight mechanic informed us that the write-up could ground the plane and he could not fix it. Also we knew that maintenance had no pre-plan in effect to deal with a grounding in cuba. It needs to be said that pilots with our company operate in a culture of fear for their jobs. Any grounding or action that exposes maintenance short-comings exposes the pilots to threats of discipline and that discipline is termination. Maintenance items not covered by the MEL have in the past been signed off with illegal deferrals and if the crew refused to fly the plane they are charged with insubordination and promptly terminated. This fear for my livelihood caused me to make a decision that I regret very much. That decision was to continue on to the next destination (as maintenance could be accomplished there) before writing up the finding. Just as I had feared, the company then 'pencil whipped' an illegal deferral and tried to make the next crew take the plane. When they refused they were pressured. This type of pressure and fear causes bad decisions based on emotion instead of logic and right and it degrades standards and safety. No airline pilot should have to work under these conditions. Although this decision may not have compromised safety it certainly compromised my professionalism and ethics. I and my crew plan to make a complete disclosure to the company and the FAA. In the future I will never again succumb to basing a decision on such fear. It's just not right. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he has been laid off by the company because of this incident in which the FAA has under investigation. He is cited for operation of an unairworthy aircraft and the falsification of the aircraft flight log record for deferring an undeferrable item. The company maintenance procedures are being investigated for non compliance with their maintenance procedures approved manual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CAPT CONTINUED TO OPERATE ACFT WITH A BOGUS MAINT DISCREPANCY REFERRAL OF THE BROKEN TAILSKID COMPRESSION INDICATOR.

Narrative: ON THIS DAY I AND MY CREW FLEW AN AIRLINE B727 FROM JACKSONVILLE NAVY TO GUANTANAMO, CUBA. AFTER LNDG THE TAILSKID COMPRESSION INDICATOR WAS FOUND SHEARED OFF AND HANGING FROM ITS CHAIN. WHETHER IT HAPPENED THERE OR WAS DONE PREVIOUSLY BY SOMEONE ELSE I'M STILL NOT CERTAIN. OUR ONBOARD FLT MECH INFORMED US THAT THE WRITE-UP COULD GND THE PLANE AND HE COULD NOT FIX IT. ALSO WE KNEW THAT MAINT HAD NO PRE-PLAN IN EFFECT TO DEAL WITH A GNDING IN CUBA. IT NEEDS TO BE SAID THAT PLTS WITH OUR COMPANY OPERATE IN A CULTURE OF FEAR FOR THEIR JOBS. ANY GNDING OR ACTION THAT EXPOSES MAINT SHORT-COMINGS EXPOSES THE PLTS TO THREATS OF DISCIPLINE AND THAT DISCIPLINE IS TERMINATION. MAINT ITEMS NOT COVERED BY THE MEL HAVE IN THE PAST BEEN SIGNED OFF WITH ILLEGAL DEFERRALS AND IF THE CREW REFUSED TO FLY THE PLANE THEY ARE CHARGED WITH INSUBORDINATION AND PROMPTLY TERMINATED. THIS FEAR FOR MY LIVELIHOOD CAUSED ME TO MAKE A DECISION THAT I REGRET VERY MUCH. THAT DECISION WAS TO CONTINUE ON TO THE NEXT DEST (AS MAINT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED THERE) BEFORE WRITING UP THE FINDING. JUST AS I HAD FEARED, THE COMPANY THEN 'PENCIL WHIPPED' AN ILLEGAL DEFERRAL AND TRIED TO MAKE THE NEXT CREW TAKE THE PLANE. WHEN THEY REFUSED THEY WERE PRESSURED. THIS TYPE OF PRESSURE AND FEAR CAUSES BAD DECISIONS BASED ON EMOTION INSTEAD OF LOGIC AND RIGHT AND IT DEGRADES STANDARDS AND SAFETY. NO AIRLINE PLT SHOULD HAVE TO WORK UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH THIS DECISION MAY NOT HAVE COMPROMISED SAFETY IT CERTAINLY COMPROMISED MY PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS. I AND MY CREW PLAN TO MAKE A COMPLETE DISCLOSURE TO THE COMPANY AND THE FAA. IN THE FUTURE I WILL NEVER AGAIN SUCCUMB TO BASING A DECISION ON SUCH FEAR. IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS BEEN LAID OFF BY THE COMPANY BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT IN WHICH THE FAA HAS UNDER INVESTIGATION. HE IS CITED FOR OP OF AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT AND THE FALSIFICATION OF THE ACFT FLT LOG RECORD FOR DEFERRING AN UNDEFERRABLE ITEM. THE COMPANY MAINT PROCS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED FOR NON COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR MAINT PROCS APPROVED MANUAL.

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.