Narrative:

We were assigned identify XXXX when inbound from identify YYYY. I had not seen the identify in open time and queried cm about identify X. They ACARS back that it was a verification flight and did not know what a verification flight was. I was told it was a test flight. Upon landing, ZZZ1, called and was told that the flight dispatch manager had ok'ed the flight. I reported for identify X on oct/sun and called the dispatcher to inquire further. He said he believed flight abcd was a test flight as the X code was that used for test flts and maintenance wanted us to go out over the ocean to check out a flap vibration problem. I replied that to my knowledge, line pilots were not to do test flying and I would not be involved in any flying over the ocean to check out system. Called flight dispatch manager and he said that was not a test flight. I called the ZZZ flight manager on duty who called the flight dispatch manager. When I spoke with the flight manager the second time his advice was to follow the instructions of the flight dispatch manager. I did and we finally agreed to 1 takeoff and landing, which we then flew. I grounded the aircraft for the same reason it was previously grounded: an airframe vibration with flaps extended. I would like to add that initially, upon reaching the aircraft, at the maintenance center, the maintenance personnel were quite surprised to see a line crew flying what they clearly considered a test flight, and they remarked that this was usually done by engineering pilots, but that there were no engineering pilots available. It would appear that the definition of the flight was changed to a verification flight to allow for the flight to be covered by a reserve line crew and I am still unclr as to how exactly this differed from a test flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CAPT ASSIGNED TO A MAINT VERIFICATION FLT STATES A LINE CREW SHOULD NOT BE ASSIGNED VERIFICATION OR TEST FLTS DUE TO QUALIFICATION.

Narrative: WE WERE ASSIGNED IDENT XXXX WHEN INBOUND FROM IDENT YYYY. I HAD NOT SEEN THE IDENT IN OPEN TIME AND QUERIED CM ABOUT IDENT X. THEY ACARS BACK THAT IT WAS A VERIFICATION FLT AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT A VERIFICATION FLT WAS. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A TEST FLT. UPON LNDG, ZZZ1, CALLED AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FLT DISPATCH MGR HAD OK'ED THE FLT. I RPTED FOR IDENT X ON OCT/SUN AND CALLED THE DISPATCHER TO INQUIRE FURTHER. HE SAID HE BELIEVED FLT ABCD WAS A TEST FLT AS THE X CODE WAS THAT USED FOR TEST FLTS AND MAINT WANTED US TO GO OUT OVER THE OCEAN TO CHK OUT A FLAP VIBRATION PROB. I REPLIED THAT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, LINE PLTS WERE NOT TO DO TEST FLYING AND I WOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN ANY FLYING OVER THE OCEAN TO CHK OUT SYS. CALLED FLT DISPATCH MGR AND HE SAID THAT WAS NOT A TEST FLT. I CALLED THE ZZZ FLT MGR ON DUTY WHO CALLED THE FLT DISPATCH MGR. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE FLT MGR THE SECOND TIME HIS ADVICE WAS TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE FLT DISPATCH MGR. I DID AND WE FINALLY AGREED TO 1 TKOF AND LNDG, WHICH WE THEN FLEW. I GNDED THE ACFT FOR THE SAME REASON IT WAS PREVIOUSLY GNDED: AN AIRFRAME VIBRATION WITH FLAPS EXTENDED. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT INITIALLY, UPON REACHING THE ACFT, AT THE MAINT CTR, THE MAINT PERSONNEL WERE QUITE SURPRISED TO SEE A LINE CREW FLYING WHAT THEY CLRLY CONSIDERED A TEST FLT, AND THEY REMARKED THAT THIS WAS USUALLY DONE BY ENGINEERING PLTS, BUT THAT THERE WERE NO ENGINEERING PLTS AVAILABLE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE DEFINITION OF THE FLT WAS CHANGED TO A VERIFICATION FLT TO ALLOW FOR THE FLT TO BE COVERED BY A RESERVE LINE CREW AND I AM STILL UNCLR AS TO HOW EXACTLY THIS DIFFERED FROM A TEST FLT.

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.