Narrative:

We were dispatched to fly [an] airplane which had been written up on the previous leg for a propeller control problem in flight. In the maintenance logbook; we noticed that the corrective action was a static run-up on the ground; and the result was 'ops check good; no defects noted'. I queried the maintenance supervisor and he assured me that this was the correct procedure for their operations. I accepted the aircraft and departed. On climb out; when selecting the power management selector to 'climb' we encountered the same problem. The np value on engine two remained at 100% with erratic torque and fdau values. Engine one performed normally with the 82% np; and normal torque and fdau values. We then returned for a safe landing. I wrote up the discrepancy in the maintenance logbook; including all parameters we found on our short flight with 62 passengers on board. The next day; I was again assigned to fly the same aircraft and I found the corrective action from our previous experience was to MEL the power management selector with no flight test performed. I started asking questions about this MEL and how to operate the aircraft in cruise with one propeller at 100% np and one propeller at 86% np and was unable to obtain an answer. Also there is a statement in the MEL procedure 'consider the atpcs to be inoperative'; with no instructions as to how to operate this system or deactivate it; or performance information for a takeoff without auto feather. I was unable to obtain information that I found necessary to safely operate this aircraft so I declined to operate this aircraft at that time. I raise the question; why are we dispatching an aircraft in commercial operations from a maintenance base with a known propeller control problem; and the auto feather system inoperative?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An ATR-72 Captain had a propeller control problem after takeoff and returned to departure airport. Reporter noted the discrepancy had been signed off at departure station.

Narrative: We were dispatched to fly [an] airplane which had been written up on the previous leg for a propeller control problem in flight. In the maintenance logbook; we noticed that the corrective action was a static run-up on the ground; and the result was 'ops check good; no defects noted'. I queried the Maintenance Supervisor and he assured me that this was the correct procedure for their operations. I accepted the aircraft and departed. On climb out; when selecting the power management selector to 'climb' we encountered the same problem. The Np value on engine two remained at 100% with erratic torque and FDAU values. Engine one performed normally with the 82% Np; and normal Torque and FDAU values. We then returned for a safe landing. I wrote up the discrepancy in the maintenance logbook; including all parameters we found on our short flight with 62 passengers on board. The next day; I was again assigned to fly the same aircraft and I found the corrective action from our previous experience was to MEL the power management selector with no flight test performed. I started asking questions about this MEL and how to operate the aircraft in cruise with one propeller at 100% Np and one propeller at 86% Np and was unable to obtain an answer. Also there is a statement in the MEL procedure 'Consider the ATPCS to be inoperative'; with no instructions as to how to operate this system or deactivate it; or performance information for a takeoff without auto feather. I was unable to obtain information that I found necessary to safely operate this aircraft so I declined to operate this aircraft at that time. I raise the question; why are we dispatching an aircraft in commercial operations from a maintenance base with a known propeller control problem; and the auto feather system inoperative?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.