Narrative:

Backgnd: on dec/wed/05 we flew aircraft XXXX from mht-ZZZ. At the gate in mht; the APU would not start and was written up and deferred over the phone (maintenance page #X). I deferred the aircraft under paragraph 1; which has a restr to 220 KIAS because the APU door is not inhibited. When we arrived in ZZZ; maintenance met the aircraft to inhibit the door and to clear an additional write-up for nose gear shimmy. Event: on dec/sun/05 we picked up the aircraft XXXX (same aircraft) to take it back to mht for a quick turn. I checked the logbook for normal preflight activities and noticed my deferral. It didn't dawn on me till we pushed back that the deferral seemed strange; as it would require us to fly at 220 KIAS. We taxied over to old remote where I took a secondary review of the deferral. I noticed that my deferral on page X was altered to indicate a paragraph 2 deferral. I called maintenance control to verify the paragraph deferral. They verified that it was changed to a paragraph 2. I challenged the deferral as illegal. They responded that it was maintenance procedure to amend deferrals like mine as long as the maintenance personnel has initialed the change. I replied that this was unacceptable for 2 reasons: 1) it was illegal and bad practice to amend the deferral I did over the phone because my name and signature were on the deferral and I cannot perform a paragraph 2 deferral. Additionally; I stated that I don't believe their procedure would be acceptable to the FAA. 2) there was no initial next to the change. I then demanded with the maintenance supervisor that joined in the conversation that we get a new deferral in the maintenance log stating a paragraph 2 deferral. They sent a maintenance technician to the aircraft. The maintenance technician arrived at the aircraft and asked what the issue was. I explained as I did with maintenance control and he re-emphasized that an initial next to the alteration was all that was required. He then initialed the alteration on page X. Once again; I stated that it was unacceptable and requested they make a new discrepancy and corrective entry that included the aircraft deferral status to be under paragraph 2. He complied and made the requested entries under page Y. We continued normally. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the logbook only showed 1 APU deferral with the APU door open and this limited the speed to 220 KTS per the MEL. This item was deferred by the crew over the phone. Reportedly 4 days later; the flight crew had the same airplane with the APU still inoperative but with the speed limit removed and no update of maintenance action taken and just an initial. Maintenance was contacted and advised of the situation and was told the deferral was changed to paragraph 2 of the MEL chapter 49 APU inoperative with the door closed and the initial is all that is required; but was not indicated in the logbook nor of any action taken. The reporter indicated the issue was corrected prior to takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ 700 APU WAS DEFERRED AS INOP WITH SPD LIMITS. 4 DAYS LATER; CREW HAD SAME ACFT WITH APU STILL INOP BUT WITH NO SPD RESTR.

Narrative: BACKGND: ON DEC/WED/05 WE FLEW ACFT XXXX FROM MHT-ZZZ. AT THE GATE IN MHT; THE APU WOULD NOT START AND WAS WRITTEN UP AND DEFERRED OVER THE PHONE (MAINT PAGE #X). I DEFERRED THE ACFT UNDER PARAGRAPH 1; WHICH HAS A RESTR TO 220 KIAS BECAUSE THE APU DOOR IS NOT INHIBITED. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN ZZZ; MAINT MET THE ACFT TO INHIBIT THE DOOR AND TO CLR AN ADDITIONAL WRITE-UP FOR NOSE GEAR SHIMMY. EVENT: ON DEC/SUN/05 WE PICKED UP THE ACFT XXXX (SAME ACFT) TO TAKE IT BACK TO MHT FOR A QUICK TURN. I CHKED THE LOGBOOK FOR NORMAL PREFLT ACTIVITIES AND NOTICED MY DEFERRAL. IT DIDN'T DAWN ON ME TILL WE PUSHED BACK THAT THE DEFERRAL SEEMED STRANGE; AS IT WOULD REQUIRE US TO FLY AT 220 KIAS. WE TAXIED OVER TO OLD REMOTE WHERE I TOOK A SECONDARY REVIEW OF THE DEFERRAL. I NOTICED THAT MY DEFERRAL ON PAGE X WAS ALTERED TO INDICATE A PARAGRAPH 2 DEFERRAL. I CALLED MAINT CTL TO VERIFY THE PARAGRAPH DEFERRAL. THEY VERIFIED THAT IT WAS CHANGED TO A PARAGRAPH 2. I CHALLENGED THE DEFERRAL AS ILLEGAL. THEY RESPONDED THAT IT WAS MAINT PROC TO AMEND DEFERRALS LIKE MINE AS LONG AS THE MAINT PERSONNEL HAS INITIALED THE CHANGE. I REPLIED THAT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE FOR 2 REASONS: 1) IT WAS ILLEGAL AND BAD PRACTICE TO AMEND THE DEFERRAL I DID OVER THE PHONE BECAUSE MY NAME AND SIGNATURE WERE ON THE DEFERRAL AND I CANNOT PERFORM A PARAGRAPH 2 DEFERRAL. ADDITIONALLY; I STATED THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THEIR PROC WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE FAA. 2) THERE WAS NO INITIAL NEXT TO THE CHANGE. I THEN DEMANDED WITH THE MAINT SUPVR THAT JOINED IN THE CONVERSATION THAT WE GET A NEW DEFERRAL IN THE MAINT LOG STATING A PARAGRAPH 2 DEFERRAL. THEY SENT A MAINT TECHNICIAN TO THE ACFT. THE MAINT TECHNICIAN ARRIVED AT THE ACFT AND ASKED WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. I EXPLAINED AS I DID WITH MAINT CTL AND HE RE-EMPHASIZED THAT AN INITIAL NEXT TO THE ALTERATION WAS ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED. HE THEN INITIALED THE ALTERATION ON PAGE X. ONCE AGAIN; I STATED THAT IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND REQUESTED THEY MAKE A NEW DISCREPANCY AND CORRECTIVE ENTRY THAT INCLUDED THE ACFT DEFERRAL STATUS TO BE UNDER PARAGRAPH 2. HE COMPLIED AND MADE THE REQUESTED ENTRIES UNDER PAGE Y. WE CONTINUED NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LOGBOOK ONLY SHOWED 1 APU DEFERRAL WITH THE APU DOOR OPEN AND THIS LIMITED THE SPD TO 220 KTS PER THE MEL. THIS ITEM WAS DEFERRED BY THE CREW OVER THE PHONE. REPORTEDLY 4 DAYS LATER; THE FLT CREW HAD THE SAME AIRPLANE WITH THE APU STILL INOP BUT WITH THE SPD LIMIT REMOVED AND NO UPDATE OF MAINT ACTION TAKEN AND JUST AN INITIAL. MAINT WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED OF THE SITUATION AND WAS TOLD THE DEFERRAL WAS CHANGED TO PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE MEL CHAPTER 49 APU INOP WITH THE DOOR CLOSED AND THE INITIAL IS ALL THAT IS REQUIRED; BUT WAS NOT INDICATED IN THE LOGBOOK NOR OF ANY ACTION TAKEN. THE RPTR INDICATED THE ISSUE WAS CORRECTED PRIOR TO TKOF.

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.