MD-83
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Release Refused / Aircraft Not Accepted; General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Human Factors; Aircraft; Procedure
Following his exterior preflight the First Officer notified me that the No. 2 and No. 4 brake wear indicators appeared to be at or below the limit for an MD-83; but he didn't have a ruler to measure. I entered the discrepancies in the logbook and notified Maintenance for a check. The Maintenance Technician informed us that the brake limit was 3/32 inches; not the 1/2 inch or greater as printed in our operating manual and signed off the book as 'well within limits.'During the preflight at the next station the First Officer again notified me that the same brake wear indicators still appeared to be below the 1/2 inch limit for an MD-83; so we again notified Maintenance at and entered the discrepancies in the logbook. This time; the airplane was taken out of service because; according to the Maintenance Technician at this station; both brake wear indicators were indeed below the limit and both brakes would need changing. This resulted in the flight being cancelled.I suggest we need more responsible Maintenance review of brake wear limits and less push to get airplanes released in any way possible.
They implied it probably should have never left the first station; and certainly was 'not well within limits.'
After Maintenance at their originating airport declared several suspect brake wear indicators to be 'well within limits' and signed off the logbook the flight crew of an MD-83 once again wrote them up as below limits at an intermediate stop and Maintenance there took the aircraft out of service until the brakes could be changed; stating they were '...not well within limits.'