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When the B737-800 flight crew advised maintenance the crew oxygen test was abnormal they were advised the aircraft had just come from service where the crew O2 bottle is frequently wired closed. They were further advised it was not uncommon for it not to be reopened following maintenance. The first officer suggested such casual disregard of an important aircraft safety system's availability during an emergency was not appropriate.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 998255 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201203 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601-1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | B737-800 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Parked |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Oxygen System/Crew |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | First Officer Pilot Not Flying |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Deviation - Procedural Maintenance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
When testing crew oxygen and mask on preflight; the crew oxygen pressure gage dropped from 1;200 psi to 700 psi. When oxygen switch was released crew oxygen gage returned to 1;200 psi. This was true for both the captain's and first officer's masks. I called maintenance and was informed that this is a 'regular occurrence' when an airplane comes from the maintenance center hangar. The reason this for this is; while the aircraft is in the hangar; it is routine for the crew oxygen cylinder to be wired shut; and often it leaves the hangar still wired shut. The mechanics at the gate knew exactly what it was and confirmed this with the flight crew.I feel this was too casual an approach concerning a piece of equipment that would be critical during abnormal procedures. My suggestion is to ensure that no aircraft leaves any maintenance hangar with its crew oxygen bottle wired closed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: When the B737-800 flight crew advised Maintenance the crew oxygen test was abnormal they were advised the aircraft had just come from service where the crew O2 bottle is frequently wired closed. They were further advised it was not uncommon for it not to be reopened following maintenance. The First Officer suggested such casual disregard of an important aircraft safety system's availability during an emergency was not appropriate.
Narrative: When testing crew oxygen and mask on preflight; the crew oxygen pressure gage dropped from 1;200 PSI to 700 PSI. When oxygen switch was released crew oxygen gage returned to 1;200 PSI. This was true for both the Captain's and First Officer's masks. I called Maintenance and was informed that this is a 'regular occurrence' when an airplane comes from the Maintenance Center hangar. The reason this for this is; while the aircraft is in the hangar; it is routine for the crew oxygen cylinder to be wired shut; and often it leaves the hangar still wired shut. The mechanics at the gate knew exactly what it was and confirmed this with the flight crew.I feel this was too casual an approach concerning a piece of equipment that would be critical during abnormal procedures. My suggestion is to ensure that no aircraft leaves any Maintenance hangar with its crew oxygen bottle wired closed.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.