Narrative:

Crew conducted a normal preflight which included checking the release verify function. Release verify indicated that the release and mrd the crew was working with was current. The first officer requested the lavatories be svced. During the lavatory service; one of the rear lavatories would not take blue water at the service port. The person servicing the lavatory called maintenance but did not inform the crew. Maintenance determined the lavatory service port did not work properly and the lavatory needed to be svced from the top. Maintenance did not tell the pilots either; but actually came on the aircraft and completed the task. After the aircraft was closed up; we pushed back and taxied. During taxi out; a new mrd came through ACARS which included a restr to inspect the lavatory prior to dispatch. We pulled off to the side and called dispatch and maintenance controller. We were informed that the mechanic who did the work did not follow SOP and create an open item which would have broken the mrd and automatically informed the cockpit via ACARS. Instead; he broke and fixed the mrd at the same time which placed the crew in the position of technically moving the aircraft under its own power without a current mrd.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED WITH NO CURRENT MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT DUE TO IMPROPER MAINT LOGBOOK AND DEFERRAL PROCS.

Narrative: CREW CONDUCTED A NORMAL PREFLT WHICH INCLUDED CHKING THE RELEASE VERIFY FUNCTION. RELEASE VERIFY INDICATED THAT THE RELEASE AND MRD THE CREW WAS WORKING WITH WAS CURRENT. THE FO REQUESTED THE LAVATORIES BE SVCED. DURING THE LAVATORY SVC; ONE OF THE REAR LAVATORIES WOULD NOT TAKE BLUE WATER AT THE SVC PORT. THE PERSON SVCING THE LAVATORY CALLED MAINT BUT DID NOT INFORM THE CREW. MAINT DETERMINED THE LAVATORY SVC PORT DID NOT WORK PROPERLY AND THE LAVATORY NEEDED TO BE SVCED FROM THE TOP. MAINT DID NOT TELL THE PLTS EITHER; BUT ACTUALLY CAME ON THE ACFT AND COMPLETED THE TASK. AFTER THE ACFT WAS CLOSED UP; WE PUSHED BACK AND TAXIED. DURING TAXI OUT; A NEW MRD CAME THROUGH ACARS WHICH INCLUDED A RESTR TO INSPECT THE LAVATORY PRIOR TO DISPATCH. WE PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE AND CALLED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTLR. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE MECH WHO DID THE WORK DID NOT FOLLOW SOP AND CREATE AN OPEN ITEM WHICH WOULD HAVE BROKEN THE MRD AND AUTOMATICALLY INFORMED THE COCKPIT VIA ACARS. INSTEAD; HE BROKE AND FIXED THE MRD AT THE SAME TIME WHICH PLACED THE CREW IN THE POS OF TECHNICALLY MOVING THE ACFT UNDER ITS OWN PWR WITHOUT A CURRENT MRD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.