Date: 201412
Aircraft: B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Other / Unknown; Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Routine Inspection
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: Pilots on many fleets were denied access to the computer maintenance logs.  This occurred despite the fact that reports were submitted showing that significant maintenance items were being dropped from the SABRE flight plan maintenance history; items that were recorded and reflected in the computer logs.  The reason; or explanation; given was that the computer logs were no longer supported.  This; I discovered; isn't exactly true. Last week; flying with a knowledgeable Flight Attendant (FA); I discovered that years ago; FAs were given access to these logs also.  More amazingly; they still enjoy access.  Perhaps someone forgot they had access; so they were not cut off when the pilots were.  This Flight Attendant showed me the log history for our airplane (a log history that went back further; was more detailed; and thus more comprehensive than the one we were delivered via SABRE).  Since learning this; I have confirmed that Flight Attendants can access maintenance log histories. I am sure the FAA would be interested to discover that pilots are denied access to the more comprehensive aircraft log histories made available to their cabin crew flying partners. Who here has the need to know? The requirement is for the pilot to avail himself of any and all information pertaining to safety of flight; not the cabin crew.  This endeavor; to learn as much as one can about one's aircraft maintenance status; has been stymied by the Company's decision to deny pilots' access to the maintenance log history.  Finally; if SABRE maintenance documents demonstrated the same fidelity and accuracy in documenting maintenance write-ups; perhaps pilots wouldn't need to access this log.  If the 14 day; 20 item log history weren't clogged with cabin convenience items; perhaps pilots wouldn't need to sleuth for significant system histories in the maintenance log.  The company claims that un-coded cabin items cannot be cleared from the maintenance history; an IT issue; and that is the reason cabin items overwhelm the log history.  But; contrary to that claim; my own experience differs.  We had a major electrical issue (one that downed the airplane) and on a following flight two days later; that item did not show up in the log history.  It was not because of the 14 day limit; or the 20 items restriction; it just didn't show.  But; it was in the computer log.  I wrote a report; and the explanation given was that it was accidentally 're-coded' by maintenance as a cabin item.  Thus is cynicism born.  Pilots require knowledge of chronic issues in order to understand what operational challenges they may meet during their flights.  The current system does not provide that adequately; or consistently.  If computer logs can be made available to Flight Attendants; it should be turned back on for pilots.  Sure; I can ask my Flight Attendant friends to access information I need.  But; why should I have to?  What if they aren't available?  Finally; I hope the company doesn't think the answer is to turn off access for everybody; in response.  Unfortunately; I am guessing that is what will happen.




Synopsis: B757 First Officer believes that the printed maintenance history provided to flight crews prior to each flight does not go back far enough and contains mostly cabin write ups. The past practice of allowing flight crew access to the maintenance computer log history has been eliminated.