B757-200
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Work Refused; General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Procedure; Human Factors; Company Policy; Aircraft
I am new on the fleet with about 150 hours total time. My First Officer has many hours. During taxi out the First Officer performed flight control checks and observed a white STATUS message on the lower EICAS screen 'WARN ELEX'. Neither of us had ever seen this message. I stopped the aircraft and parked the brakes. We found a pertinent MEL which seemed to apply. It showed that it was NOT flight crew placardable. I contacted Dispatch and Maintenance Control. Together we determined that we needed to return to the gate for maintenance action. Every time we moved the yoke fore and aft we got the WARN ELEX status message; and after we centered the yoke in the neutral position; the status message would go out after about 10 seconds. After almost three days of maintenance troubleshooting; parts shipments; and an imported maintenance crew from the mainland; a partially severed wire leading to the First Officer's stick shaker about a foot below the First Officer's yoke was found. The wire had only a few strands of wire connecting the two sides. Apparently; there was enough damage to trigger the WARN ELEX message; but enough wire left to activate the stick shaker when it was tested. Eventually; the mechanics manipulated the yoke enough that the damaged wire completely severed the remaining strands; and then the First Officer's stick shaker would no longer work. The damaged wire was then properly repaired; and the problem was corrected; prior to an actual failure! That is how the system should work; when problems are identified and repaired before an actual failure takes place in the air!In the aftermath of this event; I have been told by very senior company management pilots that; in this event; I 'could' have legally continued the operation to takeoff and fly across the ocean with the white WARN ELEX status message showing. They have told me that this is in compliance with Boeing's procedures.I feel alarmed that this is true! The apparently applicable MEL shows this is not flight crew placardable. Perhaps there are 'some' status messages where it would not be a safety issue to operate with a status message showing prior to takeoff; but who in their right mind would even consider taking off to fly across the ocean when the aircraft is telling you that there is an unknown problem with the stall warning system? Why would senior management pilots tell me that? This is such a 'Black and White' safety issue to me that I am very concerned that some other Captain might have ignored this STATUS message; in compliance with Boeing and company procedures; and taken the aircraft to the mainland from the islands. In my event; there was an actual problem; which had we taken off; could have resulted in a real in-flight failure of some part of our Stall Warning system. I think that there should be some disclaimer to the policy which allows crew to 'disregard' status messages prior to takeoff. Obviously; some status messages are more important than others. I am totally comfortable with my decisions in this event; but I question the 'safety' of a policy which clearly conflicts with the MEL; which states that I cannot flight crew placard this issue; but if it happens after 'brake release'; and before take off; that I can just 'ignore' it; as if it never happened. This is not a smart procedure; for sure.Thank you for considering this issue. Like I said; I am very new to this fleet. If I have misunderstood something this policy; please help me understand what it correctly means.
A B757-200 flight crew; faced with an WARN ELEX white STATUS EICAS message as they taxied for takeoff; returned to the gate for maintenance action which ultimately required several days to complete after determining the fault was a severed wire to the First Officer's stick shaker. When later advised by management they could have legally flown the flight from Hawaii to the mainland and simply written up the STATUS message; the newly qualified in type Captain was incredulous and requested an explanation.