 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Air carrier heavy transport dispatched with inoperative fuel gauges minimum equipment list requirement not complied with by maintenance dispatch.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 156910 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199009 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2800 |
| ASRS Report | 156910 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Fuel quantity gauges inoperative. 3, 2 in tanks not being used, 1 in a tank that was being used. Fuel tank that was being used was deferred under incorrect section of MEL (thus it was not legal) if deferred under correct section aircraft operation could have been conducted legally and safely. Further review of MEL was conducted in-flight by crew. Found discrepancy and advised maintenance of MEL conflict. Causes: companies demand for on-time departure, disciplinary actions taken against flight crews for failure to maintain schedule regardless of safety considerations, pressures brought to bear on maintenance personnel as above indicated, lack of replacement equipment, and failure of company to provide adequate maintenance on again equipment or purchase parts. Intimidation by company on personnel which cannot help but effect crew response to aircraft problems.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR HVT DISPATCHED WITH INOP FUEL GAUGES MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST REQUIREMENT NOT COMPLIED WITH BY MAINTENANCE DISPATCH.
Narrative: FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES INOP. 3, 2 IN TANKS NOT BEING USED, 1 IN A TANK THAT WAS BEING USED. FUEL TANK THAT WAS BEING USED WAS DEFERRED UNDER INCORRECT SECTION OF MEL (THUS IT WAS NOT LEGAL) IF DEFERRED UNDER CORRECT SECTION ACFT OPERATION COULD HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED LEGALLY AND SAFELY. FURTHER REVIEW OF MEL WAS CONDUCTED INFLT BY CREW. FOUND DISCREPANCY AND ADVISED MAINT OF MEL CONFLICT. CAUSES: COMPANIES DEMAND FOR ON-TIME DEP, DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST FLT CREWS FOR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SCHEDULE REGARDLESS OF SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, PRESSURES BROUGHT TO BEAR ON MAINT PERSONNEL AS ABOVE INDICATED, LACK OF REPLACEMENT EQUIP, AND FAILURE OF COMPANY TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE MAINT ON AGAIN EQUIP OR PURCHASE PARTS. INTIMIDATION BY COMPANY ON PERSONNEL WHICH CANNOT HELP BUT EFFECT CREW RESPONSE TO ACFT PROBS.
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.