Narrative:

During a ramp check by the orl FSDO operations department, it was noticed by the inspector there was a placard on the aircraft I was going to fly stating, 'autoplt deactivated.' the inspector's question was, 'what are you going to do about this and do you have an MEL?' my reaction was, 'no, I don't have an MEL and I will write the discrepancy up at the completion of the flight.' I had an air ambulance committment to pick up a 12 yr old boy and transport him from tlh to tpa. What's happening is the FAA picks on the MEL because we can't get one, the FAA is too busy and/or they don't have the personnel. I have tried to get an MEL since 1984. I have gone to seminars, meetings, etc, and every time you ask about the MEL they just laugh--but when something doesn't work on your aircraft, the first thing they (FAA) ask is, 'do you have an MEL?', knowing you don't. Then they want to violate you or the company, or both. I am not a flagrant violator of the rules, but I did depart on this flight knowing the possible circumstances, and also knowing that the MEL wouldn't make the flight any safer because part of the autoplt was out for repair. At this time, I have not heard anything from the FAA. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said that he has had no follow-up form the FAA. The incident incensed him so, however, that he made many phone calls to the FSDO complaining of the unreasonable situation where FAA inspectors routinely bring up the issue of mels, while at the same time they know that the agency is way behind on generating mels due to inadequate manpwr. Reporter apparently bent the right ears, as after his many phone calls, he finally received copies of the master mels for his company's aircraft, and he is currently in the process of producing and obtaining approval for his own mels. He said that his protracted and frequent efforts at obtaining master mels had never before met with success, and that other operators had had similar problems with the MEL bureaucracy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMT OPERATOR IS ACCUSED OF FLYING WITH INOPERATIVE EQUIPMENT BY FAA INSPECTOR BECAUSE THE COMPANY DID NOT HAVE A MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST. OPERATOR HAD TRIED MANY TIMES TO OBTAIN MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST FROM FAA WITHOUT SUCCESS.

Narrative: DURING A RAMP CHK BY THE ORL FSDO OPS DEPT, IT WAS NOTICED BY THE INSPECTOR THERE WAS A PLACARD ON THE ACFT I WAS GOING TO FLY STATING, 'AUTOPLT DEACTIVATED.' THE INSPECTOR'S QUESTION WAS, 'WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS AND DO YOU HAVE AN MEL?' MY REACTION WAS, 'NO, I DON'T HAVE AN MEL AND I WILL WRITE THE DISCREPANCY UP AT THE COMPLETION OF THE FLT.' I HAD AN AIR AMBULANCE COMMITTMENT TO PICK UP A 12 YR OLD BOY AND TRANSPORT HIM FROM TLH TO TPA. WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THE FAA PICKS ON THE MEL BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET ONE, THE FAA IS TOO BUSY AND/OR THEY DON'T HAVE THE PERSONNEL. I HAVE TRIED TO GET AN MEL SINCE 1984. I HAVE GONE TO SEMINARS, MEETINGS, ETC, AND EVERY TIME YOU ASK ABOUT THE MEL THEY JUST LAUGH--BUT WHEN SOMETHING DOESN'T WORK ON YOUR ACFT, THE FIRST THING THEY (FAA) ASK IS, 'DO YOU HAVE AN MEL?', KNOWING YOU DON'T. THEN THEY WANT TO VIOLATE YOU OR THE COMPANY, OR BOTH. I AM NOT A FLAGRANT VIOLATOR OF THE RULES, BUT I DID DEPART ON THIS FLT KNOWING THE POSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND ALSO KNOWING THAT THE MEL WOULDN'T MAKE THE FLT ANY SAFER BECAUSE PART OF THE AUTOPLT WAS OUT FOR REPAIR. AT THIS TIME, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE FAA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID THAT HE HAS HAD NO FOLLOW-UP FORM THE FAA. THE INCIDENT INCENSED HIM SO, HOWEVER, THAT HE MADE MANY PHONE CALLS TO THE FSDO COMPLAINING OF THE UNREASONABLE SITUATION WHERE FAA INSPECTORS ROUTINELY BRING UP THE ISSUE OF MELS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THEY KNOW THAT THE AGENCY IS WAY BEHIND ON GENERATING MELS DUE TO INADEQUATE MANPWR. RPTR APPARENTLY BENT THE RIGHT EARS, AS AFTER HIS MANY PHONE CALLS, HE FINALLY RECEIVED COPIES OF THE MASTER MELS FOR HIS COMPANY'S ACFT, AND HE IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING AND OBTAINING APPROVAL FOR HIS OWN MELS. HE SAID THAT HIS PROTRACTED AND FREQUENT EFFORTS AT OBTAINING MASTER MELS HAD NEVER BEFORE MET WITH SUCCESS, AND THAT OTHER OPERATORS HAD HAD SIMILAR PROBS WITH THE MEL BUREAUCRACY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.