B777-200
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 25000; Flight Crew Type 3000
Confusion; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Logbook Entry; Human Factors
June 2013; Aircraft X; a B777-200; during flight planning; the inbound Captain on Aircraft X advised me that the left engine did not shut down normally; and had to be shut down by pulling the Fire Handle; and it was written up. I called Dispatch and Maintenance Control and asked about the write-up; both had no idea of the problem. Maintenance Control did say they would contact local company Line Maintenance and find out. At XA:49 pm a Maintenance Release was sent to the aircraft with no mention of the engine problem. I called Line Maintenance and asked to speak to someone. A Mechanic came to the aircraft and said there was no write-up; and everything was fine. We released brakes at XB:37 pm; engine start was normal. As we taxied to the runway; at XB:50 pm; we received an ACARS message from Maintenance Control. This message addressed the engine problem and stated our Maintenance Release was broken; and expect a new one. I called Dispatch and Maintenance Control; they said the write-up had been missed; and expect a new Maintenance Release. The corrected Maintenance Release was received at XB:54 pm. This Maintenance Release showed the write-up and the work that had been done.
Reporter stated the inbound B777 he was scheduled to fly; had just arrived from an international flight. The inbound Captain told him; that he (the inbound Captain) had to pull the 'T-Handle' (Fire Handle) to shut the left engine down at the gate. Although the discrepancy was written-up; if the inbound Captain had not given him that turnover information; he would never have known the write-up existed. After their Mechanic said there was 'no' write-up; he requested to see a Maintenance Supervisor who swore there wasn't any write-up regarding the Left Engine Fire handle.Reporter stated he doesn't know how Dispatch and Maintenance Control missed the previous flight write-up but so much is electronic; including a lot of their logbook information; that he is really not sure what actually gets recorded. He believes the blending of numerous Flight and Maintenance computer systems as a result of past mergers has contributed to the current environment where pilots and mechanics do not see all the information that should be available to them. He does not remember at this time just what the Maintenance 'Corrective Action' sign-off was; for the Fire Handle shutdown write-up.
After being informed by an inbound Captain of the need to use the Fire Handle to shut down the Left Engine on a B777 aircraft; the outbound Captain was assured by Maintenance Control; Dispatch and a Maintenance Supervisor that no write-up existed. The Maintenance Release had to be broken during taxi out to address the engine shut down discrepancy.