Narrative:

On arrival at the aircraft for origination to ny; upon review of the logbook it was noticed that a required mpm for an open MEL had not been accomplished or signed off since the aircraft had arrived at dfw. This MEL; for a malfunctioning hydraulic overheat light; MEL requires a maintenance check prior to every flight. Maintenance were duly called and a mechanic promptly sent; so far so good. Part 1 requires the captain to notify the agent of a maintenance event; so I proceeded up the jetbridge to inform the agent on his behalf. I was surprised to be met by passenger coming the other way (45 mins prior to departure -- light load 91 passenger); making it chaos on the jetbridge and blocking the way for the engineers to the flight deck. The mpm was signed off in the logbook and the flight departed on schedule. On arrival in lga I re-boarded the aircraft to ride the jumpseat back to dfw. The crew in lga letting the maintenance personnel there proceed with the mpm for the return leg. To my astonishment; this involved an engine run. We had not had this done in dfw. Upon review of the mpm the mechanics in lga showed me that there is 2 parts to the mpm -- for the electric hydraulic pumps or the engine-driven pumps. We had had the wrong one done in dfw -- no engine run had been done. Contributing factors to this incident: 1) air carrier 'rushing culture' even when there's mass of time before departure. 2) a gate agent unnecessarily loading the passenger in dfw without coordinating personally with the captain and hence rushing the maintenance personnel. 3) the chaotic state of the MEL/mpm situation with manuals scattered amongst different personnel instead of having a single; simple; coordinated cockpit library like all foreign carriers do; that the flight crew could xchk for maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW HAS AN MEL ITEM THAT REQUIRES A PREFLT ENG RUN UP. CHK PRIOR TO DEP.

Narrative: ON ARR AT THE ACFT FOR ORIGINATION TO NY; UPON REVIEW OF THE LOGBOOK IT WAS NOTICED THAT A REQUIRED MPM FOR AN OPEN MEL HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED OR SIGNED OFF SINCE THE ACFT HAD ARRIVED AT DFW. THIS MEL; FOR A MALFUNCTIONING HYD OVERHEAT LIGHT; MEL REQUIRES A MAINT CHK PRIOR TO EVERY FLT. MAINT WERE DULY CALLED AND A MECH PROMPTLY SENT; SO FAR SO GOOD. PART 1 REQUIRES THE CAPT TO NOTIFY THE AGENT OF A MAINT EVENT; SO I PROCEEDED UP THE JETBRIDGE TO INFORM THE AGENT ON HIS BEHALF. I WAS SURPRISED TO BE MET BY PAX COMING THE OTHER WAY (45 MINS PRIOR TO DEP -- LIGHT LOAD 91 PAX); MAKING IT CHAOS ON THE JETBRIDGE AND BLOCKING THE WAY FOR THE ENGINEERS TO THE FLT DECK. THE MPM WAS SIGNED OFF IN THE LOGBOOK AND THE FLT DEPARTED ON SCHEDULE. ON ARR IN LGA I RE-BOARDED THE ACFT TO RIDE THE JUMPSEAT BACK TO DFW. THE CREW IN LGA LETTING THE MAINT PERSONNEL THERE PROCEED WITH THE MPM FOR THE RETURN LEG. TO MY ASTONISHMENT; THIS INVOLVED AN ENG RUN. WE HAD NOT HAD THIS DONE IN DFW. UPON REVIEW OF THE MPM THE MECHS IN LGA SHOWED ME THAT THERE IS 2 PARTS TO THE MPM -- FOR THE ELECTRIC HYD PUMPS OR THE ENG-DRIVEN PUMPS. WE HAD HAD THE WRONG ONE DONE IN DFW -- NO ENG RUN HAD BEEN DONE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT: 1) ACR 'RUSHING CULTURE' EVEN WHEN THERE'S MASS OF TIME BEFORE DEP. 2) A GATE AGENT UNNECESSARILY LOADING THE PAX IN DFW WITHOUT COORDINATING PERSONALLY WITH THE CAPT AND HENCE RUSHING THE MAINT PERSONNEL. 3) THE CHAOTIC STATE OF THE MEL/MPM SIT WITH MANUALS SCATTERED AMONGST DIFFERENT PERSONNEL INSTEAD OF HAVING A SINGLE; SIMPLE; COORDINATED COCKPIT LIBRARY LIKE ALL FOREIGN CARRIERS DO; THAT THE FLT CREW COULD XCHK FOR MAINT.

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.