Narrative:

My originally scheduled flight had been canceled and I was rescheduled to deadhead on a later flight. In flight operations I was notified that my flight had been canceled because there was a reverser inoperative and that the dispatcher had refused the aircraft due to field conditions at lga; which included loose snow on the runway. I silently agreed with the dispatcher's call and went about my business.approximately 1 hour later I was called by someone from company headquarters who informed me that maintenance--who had not fixed the thrust reverser--had determined the airplane was ok to fly. Mind you the inoperative thrust reverser was the reason a licensed and trained flight dispatcher had already refused this aircraft. I will say it again a licensed dispatcher had already refused this aircraft for the reverser being inoperative yet someone in management was trying to override--or; more accurately; get me to override--a decision that had already been made by the dispatcher and force me (the captain) to refuse the aircraft again; which I did. I was then called by a flight manager who was 'looking for information'. I informed him that a licensed dispatcher had already refused this aircraft for the inoperative thrust reverser prior to my even becoming involved and the only conclusions I could draw from this process was that 'someone' wanted to charge me with the refusal and not the dispatcher or someone was trying to strong arm me into flying an aircraft that both myself and the dispatcher deemed unsafe to fly off of 7;000 ft runways (with water on both ends) the day after a major blizzard caused the closing of the new york airports. This entire scenario was unsatisfactory and unsafe not to mention unprofessional.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An air carrier Captain took exception to attempts by managers to circumvent decisions by both the Dispatcher and the Captain that an aircraft with an inoperative reverser was not suitable for dispatch to/from an airport with adverse field conditions.

Narrative: My originally scheduled flight had been canceled and I was rescheduled to deadhead on a later flight. In flight operations I was notified that my flight had been canceled because there was a reverser inoperative and that the DISPATCHER had refused the aircraft due to field conditions at LGA; which included loose snow on the runway. I silently agreed with the Dispatcher's call and went about my business.Approximately 1 hour later I was called by someone from company headquarters who informed me that maintenance--who had NOT fixed the thrust reverser--had determined the airplane was OK to fly. Mind you the inoperative thrust reverser was the REASON a licensed and trained Flight Dispatcher had ALREADY REFUSED THIS AIRCRAFT. I will say it again a licensed dispatcher had ALREADY refused this aircraft for the reverser being inoperative yet someone in management was trying to override--or; more accurately; GET ME to override--a decision that had ALREADY BEEN MADE BY THE DISPATCHER and FORCE me (the Captain) to refuse the aircraft again; which I did. I was then called by a Flight Manager who was 'looking for information'. I informed him that a LICENSED DISPATCHER had already refused this aircraft for the inoperative thrust reverser PRIOR to my even becoming involved and the ONLY conclusions I could draw from this process was that 'someone' wanted to charge me with the refusal and not the Dispatcher OR someone was trying to strong arm me into flying an aircraft that both myself and the Dispatcher deemed UNSAFE to fly off of 7;000 FT runways (with water on both ends) the day after a major blizzard caused the closing of the New York Airports. This entire scenario was unsatisfactory and unsafe not to mention unprofessional.

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.