Narrative:

During cockpit setup the captain's ADI and nav screens were found to be blank. After checking circuit breakers; the alternate symbol generator was selected and the screens returned to normal. Maintenance was called. The mechanic appeared a few minutes later; and when the efi switch was pushed to normal; the screens appeared normal. We thought it was a transient problem and he left to sign a new maintenance release. However; a few moments later; the screens blanked again with both showing a sd fail message. I caught the mechanic at the bottom of the stairs and he returned. He looked at circuit breakers and pressed the efi switch (symbol generator switching) on and then off; observing the blank screen in the normal position. He then asked if we would be willing to take a deferral to which I replied yes. He soon delivered the MEL card and left again to sign a new release. In reading the 'flight crew' MEL requirements I discovered that there was a procedure required to be followed by the crew that would verify the isolation of the captain's and first officer's symbol generators. We accomplished the procedure as required. I then read the maintenance section of the MEL and it required that the mechanic accomplish the same procedure when deferring the item. However this had not been done. I called maintenance again and requested the mechanics return. We had already received a new maintenance release and the departure time had passed and someone called me from the ground on the headset asking about the further delay. I relayed to him that the procedure had not been accomplished but had been signed off. He replied that the mechanic had done it. I replied that both pilots had observed the mechanic while in the cockpit and there was no way that the procedure had been done. He continued to pressure me and I told him we would not be leaving until he returned to do the check. The mechanic returned and read the MEL. He seemed confused about how to proceed; but eventually sat in the left seat and reading through the directions completed the check as required. The mechanic made no claim about having already done the check and stated that since the pilot daily required check was the same as the initial maintenance check on the card; that the pilots could accomplish the initial check and there was no need for him to return to the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 flight crew reports agreeing to accept the aircraft with an MEL for an inoperative Captain's symbol generator. After complying with the MEL required crew actions it is discovered that maintenance is required to perform the same checks and had not been accomplished. Maintenance is called back and the flight is delayed.

Narrative: During cockpit setup the Captain's ADI and Nav screens were found to be blank. After checking circuit breakers; the alternate symbol generator was selected and the screens returned to normal. Maintenance was called. The mechanic appeared a few minutes later; and when the EFI switch was pushed to normal; the screens appeared normal. We thought it was a transient problem and he left to sign a new maintenance release. However; a few moments later; the screens blanked again with both showing a SD FAIL message. I caught the mechanic at the bottom of the stairs and he returned. He looked at circuit breakers and pressed the EFI switch (symbol generator switching) on and then off; observing the blank screen in the normal position. He then asked if we would be willing to take a deferral to which I replied yes. He soon delivered the MEL card and left again to sign a new release. In reading the 'flight crew' MEL requirements I discovered that there was a procedure required to be followed by the crew that would verify the isolation of the Captain's and First Officer's symbol generators. We accomplished the procedure as required. I then read the maintenance section of the MEL and it required that the mechanic accomplish the same procedure when deferring the item. However this had not been done. I called Maintenance again and requested the mechanics return. We had already received a new Maintenance Release and the departure time had passed and someone called me from the ground on the headset asking about the further delay. I relayed to him that the procedure had not been accomplished but had been signed off. He replied that the mechanic had done it. I replied that both pilots had observed the mechanic while in the cockpit and there was no way that the procedure had been done. He continued to pressure me and I told him we would not be leaving until he returned to do the check. The mechanic returned and read the MEL. He seemed confused about how to proceed; but eventually sat in the left seat and reading through the directions completed the check as required. The mechanic made no claim about having already done the check and stated that since the pilot daily required check was the same as the initial Maintenance Check on the card; that the pilots could accomplish the initial check and there was no need for him to return to the cockpit.

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.