B747-400 crew was delayed for about 30 mins awaiting a valid maintenance release document.

Attributes
ACN	627444
Time
Date	200408
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : pushback ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	observation : company check pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	627444
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Maintenance release document received via ACARS and verified via ACARS per SOP prior to pushback. Pushback delayed per request from ground handler due to need to look at scratch on cargo door. After a short delay ground handler said we were ready for push so I asked if we needed a new maintenance release document, answer 'no,' which I interpreted as no maintenance having been conducted. Just prior to taking runway for takeoff (22 mins after block-out) we received the following ACARS printer message. Aircraft X expect new maintenance release document. Maintenance is working the following item. Expect a new maintenance release document and do not taxi without it. Item: log scratch in fuselage just aft of rear main cargo door approximately 2 ft above bottom of door sill. Scratch is approximately 2.5

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 CREW WAS DELAYED FOR ABOUT 30 MINS AWAITING A VALID MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT.

Narrative: MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT RECEIVED VIA ACARS AND VERIFIED VIA ACARS PER SOP PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. PUSHBACK DELAYED PER REQUEST FROM GND HANDLER DUE TO NEED TO LOOK AT SCRATCH ON CARGO DOOR. AFTER A SHORT DELAY GND HANDLER SAID WE WERE READY FOR PUSH SO I ASKED IF WE NEEDED A NEW MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT, ANSWER 'NO,' WHICH I INTERPED AS NO MAINT HAVING BEEN CONDUCTED. JUST PRIOR TO TAKING RWY FOR TKOF (22 MINS AFTER BLOCK-OUT) WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING ACARS PRINTER MESSAGE. ACFT X EXPECT NEW MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT. MAINT IS WORKING THE FOLLOWING ITEM. EXPECT A NEW MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT AND DO NOT TAXI WITHOUT IT. ITEM: LOG SCRATCH IN FUSELAGE JUST AFT OF REAR MAIN CARGO DOOR APPROX 2 FT ABOVE BOTTOM OF DOOR SILL. SCRATCH IS APPROX 2.5

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.