Narrative:

On this flight I made a paperwork mistake. Everything was done correctly except the paperwork. We had an MEL for our fuel system xfer valves. This MEL has tasks that can be accomplished by either a mechanic or a pilot. I did not have a problem doing the procedure and accomplished the required tasks to comply with the MEL including making a flight crew notification. The MEL states on item #3: make a logbook entry 'MEL 28-15-01 (aa) C/west.' I called maintenance control and wanted to confirm whether or not this had to be done since I had made the flight crew notifications. I told the maintenance controller I was the captain, and just wanted to confirm what maintenance control wanted. The maintenance controller stated that yes this entry has to be made. I then told him I wanted permission to do this as an information only write-up. I stated that in addition to the flight crew notifications, I could just make an information only write-up stating 'MEL 28-15-01 (aa) C/west.' the controller advised that no, it was not an information write-up. He would not give permission for an information only write-up. We continued to discuss this and I questioned him about this, 'are you sure about this?' the maintenance controller was so confident that this was the right way to do this, that I started to believe him. He assured me that the MEL gives me the authority/authorized to make this entry. I then said, 'ok I think I see what you're saying, since this is an MEL, then I have authority/authorized to do all the required item?' maintenance control said yes. I told the controller ok and verified how he wanted the entry made. The problem was that I made the entry in the corrective action block of the maintenance log. A few days earlier, as I was reviewing the history of another aircraft, I came across an old log page that had a similar logbook entry to the one I had just agreed to make. When I saw it, I thought how could this pilot make such a mistake?! I thought to myself, I would never do that! Well, never say never. In fact I did do that. I remembered that earlier entry as I talked to the mechanic about the MEL of my aircraft. I started to believe maintenance control that it was ok to do this. The other factor is I had been flying a night trip and had just had a short overnight and switched back to a day trip. These may have been factors but they also are most likely just excuses. Basically, I made a mistake. Later that day, I started thinking about this and realized I made a mistake. I wondered why the maintenance controller was so confident in his opinion and that's when I realized, 'what if the controller did not understand he was talking to a pilot?' it was starting to make sense now. I believe the controller did not hear me when I stated I was the captain. I think he thought he was talking to a mechanic. I then made a phone call to maintenance control and told them about my mistake on the paperwork.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPT MADE AN ERROR IN A MAINT LOGBOOK ENTRY WHEN THE MAINT CTLR TOLD HIM TO SIGN OFF THE CORRECTIVE ACTION BLOCK OF THE MAINT LOG.

Narrative: ON THIS FLT I MADE A PAPERWORK MISTAKE. EVERYTHING WAS DONE CORRECTLY EXCEPT THE PAPERWORK. WE HAD AN MEL FOR OUR FUEL SYS XFER VALVES. THIS MEL HAS TASKS THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY EITHER A MECH OR A PLT. I DID NOT HAVE A PROB DOING THE PROC AND ACCOMPLISHED THE REQUIRED TASKS TO COMPLY WITH THE MEL INCLUDING MAKING A FLT CREW NOTIFICATION. THE MEL STATES ON ITEM #3: MAKE A LOGBOOK ENTRY 'MEL 28-15-01 (AA) C/W.' I CALLED MAINT CTL AND WANTED TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT THIS HAD TO BE DONE SINCE I HAD MADE THE FLT CREW NOTIFICATIONS. I TOLD THE MAINT CTLR I WAS THE CAPT, AND JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM WHAT MAINT CTL WANTED. THE MAINT CTLR STATED THAT YES THIS ENTRY HAS TO BE MADE. I THEN TOLD HIM I WANTED PERMISSION TO DO THIS AS AN INFO ONLY WRITE-UP. I STATED THAT IN ADDITION TO THE FLT CREW NOTIFICATIONS, I COULD JUST MAKE AN INFO ONLY WRITE-UP STATING 'MEL 28-15-01 (AA) C/W.' THE CTLR ADVISED THAT NO, IT WAS NOT AN INFO WRITE-UP. HE WOULD NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR AN INFO ONLY WRITE-UP. WE CONTINUED TO DISCUSS THIS AND I QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT THIS, 'ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?' THE MAINT CTLR WAS SO CONFIDENT THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THIS, THAT I STARTED TO BELIEVE HIM. HE ASSURED ME THAT THE MEL GIVES ME THE AUTH TO MAKE THIS ENTRY. I THEN SAID, 'OK I THINK I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, SINCE THIS IS AN MEL, THEN I HAVE AUTH TO DO ALL THE REQUIRED ITEM?' MAINT CTL SAID YES. I TOLD THE CTLR OK AND VERIFIED HOW HE WANTED THE ENTRY MADE. THE PROB WAS THAT I MADE THE ENTRY IN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION BLOCK OF THE MAINT LOG. A FEW DAYS EARLIER, AS I WAS REVIEWING THE HISTORY OF ANOTHER ACFT, I CAME ACROSS AN OLD LOG PAGE THAT HAD A SIMILAR LOGBOOK ENTRY TO THE ONE I HAD JUST AGREED TO MAKE. WHEN I SAW IT, I THOUGHT HOW COULD THIS PLT MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE?! I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I WOULD NEVER DO THAT! WELL, NEVER SAY NEVER. IN FACT I DID DO THAT. I REMEMBERED THAT EARLIER ENTRY AS I TALKED TO THE MECH ABOUT THE MEL OF MY ACFT. I STARTED TO BELIEVE MAINT CTL THAT IT WAS OK TO DO THIS. THE OTHER FACTOR IS I HAD BEEN FLYING A NIGHT TRIP AND HAD JUST HAD A SHORT OVERNIGHT AND SWITCHED BACK TO A DAY TRIP. THESE MAY HAVE BEEN FACTORS BUT THEY ALSO ARE MOST LIKELY JUST EXCUSES. BASICALLY, I MADE A MISTAKE. LATER THAT DAY, I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THIS AND REALIZED I MADE A MISTAKE. I WONDERED WHY THE MAINT CTLR WAS SO CONFIDENT IN HIS OPINION AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED, 'WHAT IF THE CTLR DID NOT UNDERSTAND HE WAS TALKING TO A PLT?' IT WAS STARTING TO MAKE SENSE NOW. I BELIEVE THE CTLR DID NOT HEAR ME WHEN I STATED I WAS THE CAPT. I THINK HE THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING TO A MECH. I THEN MADE A PHONE CALL TO MAINT CTL AND TOLD THEM ABOUT MY MISTAKE ON THE PAPERWORK.

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.