Date: 201910
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Ferry / Re-Positioning
Flight phase: Parked
Aircraft component: Engine Starting System
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Human factors: Communication Breakdown
Second reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Aircraft In Service At Gate; Pre-flight
Result: General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Procedure

Narrative: We were assigned to ferry Aircraft X from ZZZ to ZZZ1; empty and without flight attendants. We arrived at the aircraft approximately 30 minutes prior to the departure time stipulated in our trip ID; mainly due to the fact that we had to be driven from the terminal to the ZZZ airport west maintenance facility. After completing our cabin and cockpit checks we proceeded to start both engines. We received an ENG START VLV R EICAS message and aborted the start. We advised ZZZ station maintenance of the published frequency of our condition and proceeded to write up the malfunction. At this time we also noticed an ADS B OUT L advisory message and also wrote that up. The station mechanic arrived at the aircraft and vocalized to us that he didn't really work on 777s and didn't know too much about it. He queried us about the AUTOSTART switch and asked if he should reset it. We told him we're not mechanics but he was welcome to try it. He did. At this time I asked him if he wanted me to pull up the maintenance page on the lower EICAS display. I also asked him if I should go to the maintenance tasks page since he had no idea what he was doing with regards to EICAS. He noticed an erasable message for the ENG START VLV R message we received earlier. He asked me to erase it for him and I did. We started up the engine and it worked fine. In the meantime; the ADS B OUT L message went away on its own. As we were preparing to start; we noticed INERTIAL on the lower right of both ND displays. Pulling up the GPS page; we saw both GPS's inoperative; and notified ZZZ station maintenance on the published frequency that we were writing that problem up again. The Maintenance Controller told us to start pulling circuit breakers. I told her we have the engines shut down and the door is open so have the mechanic come back and work the problem. Same mechanic returned. We left the cockpit to give mechanic room to work. He came out of the cockpit a short time later and said problem was fixed. We sat down and saw INERTIAL on the ND displays and both GPS receivers inoperative. I notified ZZZ Maintenance that this aircraft has issues and we're going to write it up a third time; and that we'll be out of the cockpit so let us know when they get the problem fixed. She said we need to let the ADIRU realign for 8 minutes but I saw that the ADIRU was already up and running and properly aligned since we had the artificial horizon on the PFD. I asked her if the mechanic had cycle the ADIRU (Air Data Inertial Reference Unit) off and she asked in a very condescending tone if I had seen him re-cycling the ADIRU. I said no; since we weren't in the cockpit. She then went on to tell me where the ADIRU switch was. Having been flying this type aircraft for 17 years; I told her I know where the switch is and I would like to speak with her supervisor. She said she was management and I could talk to her. Not wanting to continue this conversation on the radio; I asked if she could come out to the aircraft. She said she couldn't but would send someone out. I asked that whoever she sent out be a management level person. She agreed.Shortly; two gentlemen came out and introduced themselves as supervisors. I described the words and tone that their maintenance controller had used with us; and they apologized profusely; saying that's not how they do business. Shortly thereafter; a woman came up to the aircraft with no uniform and no ID visible. I asked her who she was and she refused to identify herself. I queried her again and she said she was the Maintenance Controller I was talking to on the radio. I told her that she's got big problems. She turned to me and said; 'No you've got big problems because you're a sexist and three people are already writing me up.' I asked her what was sexist and she said my attitude on the radio. At this point we contacted our Chief Pilot and our ALPA representatives. At some point [controller's] supervisor came on board and discussed the problem with us. He too apologized for her actions; and asked us how we can salvage the flight. He also said that there is a GPS blank spot in that location which could account for the GPS receivers being inoperative. We were advised by the ZZZ1 Chief Pilot's office that we were removed from the flight and that we would be deadheading back to ZZZ1. As we left the aircraft another mechanic came up and asked if we had open write-ups on this aircraft. I said we wrote up the GPS but due to the dead spots [the supervisor] said existed in west maintenance ramp; that it could be they're not inoperative. He told me that he's been working in that area for 23 years; and that there are no dead spots out there.Both the First Officer and I feel [Controller] made the false 'sexist' accusation to conceal that fact that she and other members of the ZZZ maintenance staff tried to get us to do the mechanic's job for them; which we refused to do; and then tried to push a broken aircraft on us; and to fly said broken airplane with unrepaired maintenance deficiencies.


Second narrative: During engine start we received an ENG START VLV R caution message followed by an ADS B L out caution message. We shut down the engines; completed checklists and notified Maintenance of our situation. They sent out two mechanics and they cleared the messages for us. One of the mechanics said he wasn't familiar with the 777 and asked if he could reset the auto start button. I thought it was a little strange to tell us he isn't familiar with the 777. We then started the number 2 engine to ensure the message would stay clear which it did. After we shut the engine down; we reloaded the FMC; shut the main cabin door and received the ADS B L out message and the GPS L R were now inoperative. The Captain again called Maintenance on the radio and explained our situation again and was asked to pull circuit breakers again. Maintenance had already pulled the breakers and the Captain ask for a Supervisor and was told she was a Supervisor and I think he asked to speak to a Manager and was told she was the one he could talk to. It seemed as though he was receiving attitude by this person and he asked if she was or could come to the jet and was told she couldn't. The Captain then asked for supervisor and two more mechanics came out. They told us there was a dead spot that affected B787s at the west end facility. A few minutes later a white SUV drove up and a female walked out with no ID badge visible and proceeded to walk up the stairs. The Captain challenged her twice asking who she was and finally she stated she was the person who he had spoken with and that he was sexist and that three reports were being filed against him. At this point I felt very uncomfortable and thought it was extremely unprofessional to act this way. During this time we decided we could not fly this trip and Maintenance personal kept asking what we could do to salvage the trip. The Captain must have told the Maintenance Supervisor three times we weren't flying and finally after we were asked again if we could salvage the trip and fly I advised him that we had been removed from the pairing. I felt very uncomfortable and felt that we were being pressured to fly an un-airworthy airplane. The Captain later told me that Maintenance said the person who came to the jet wasn't supposed to and that there wasn't a dead spot there.


Synopsis: B777 Captain reported multiple mechanical issues which caused a delay and a crew swap.