B757-200
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action; General Release Refused / Aircraft Not Accepted; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Aircraft; Procedure; MEL; Human Factors; Company Policy
Arrived at Aircraft X; a B757-200; for flight to ZZZZ; time -compressed due to Ramp congestion/Customs on previous inbound leg. First Officer started external preflight; [passengers] already boarding. I noticed in Logbook that Left engine was on a Repetitive Inspection sheet for a worn Attrition Liner. Aircraft also had write-ups from Maintenance for a bent blade on Left engine (OK'd by Maintenance for deferral that morning); and then on first flight of day; Left engine overspeed N1 with amber indications in steady state climb through 35;000 feet; (also deferred as OK by Maintenance).  First Officer returned and informed me that Number 1 Left engine was MISSING 5'-6' FEET of attrition liner. Went to see it myself. Called Maintenance. Maintenance responded and after short delay; signed it off as OK for up to five more cycles. Conversed with Dispatch and Technical (Tech) [group]. I've been on and off the B757/B767 for over 24-years; and never seen this much liner missing. Told the tech guys that I understand it can all be gone; but world of difference between them [Maintenance] removing it and engine shedding it on its own (FOD checks; compressor stalls; etc). Based on Logbook history; had NO confidence in taking this engine anywhere; let alone mountainous ZZZZ at night.  Refused aircraft. Dispatch found spare. Extended FAR 117 duty day one hour; and went to ZZZZ on Aircraft Y; another B757 (which subsequently lost C1 Elec Hydraulic pump. Co-coordinated with Dispatch to continue on as jet would still be dispatchable next day with one inoperative; Hyd System quantities/pressures OK/Landing weights/Weather OK). Before leaving on Aircraft Y; called First Officer who flew Aircraft X on ZZZ-ZZZZ-ZZZ turn prior to our flight. He said Left engine liner was worn; but not missing. Also informed by Tech that Aircraft X was now going to Hangar for engine change.  Subsequently informed by Dispatcher on return to Base R(TB) that Rolls-Royce was very concerned over data that was coming off of FDR [data] pulled on that engine (that only had 200 hrs on it). Maintenance says it's good to go; but I refuse it; and it gets an FDR pull/engine change. That's about as wide a gulf as I can imagine--I'm thinking that safety was about to be compromised here.
Reporter stated that with a bent fan blade and N1 Overspeed already deferred and the Number 1 Engine Fan Case Attrition liner on a Repetitive Inspection deferral for previous sections of the Fan Case Attrition being missing and that's not counting the 5 to 6 feet of liner that had recently disappeared after the deferral; he was not going to accept the B757-200 as safe to fly overwater or high mountains. He has many hours on the B757s and has never seen an Overspeed condition on the Rolls-Royce RB-211 engines; an Overheat condition yes; but not Overspeed. The 5'-6' section of Attrition liner may have separated on the previous inbound flight during a hard reverse landing. The Line Maintenance Technicians at his departure station really did not want to release the aircraft with that much section of attrition liner suddenly missing; but were overruled by their Technical support group. He suspects the bent fan blade; missing sections of attrition liner and engine Overspeed are synonymous with each other. Reporter stated that a faulty relay appears to have been the problem for the C1 Electric Hydraulic Pump fault on the alternate (spare) [Aircraft Y] B757 he departed on.
Captain reports he refused to accept a B757-200 aircraft as safe to fly overwater or high mountains with the Number 1 Engine Fan blade bent and N1 Overspeed already deferred; the Fan Case Attrition liner already on a Repetitive Inspection deferral for previous liner sections missing and an additional 5 to 6 feet of liner that had recently disappeared after the deferral.