Dispatch and flight crew overlooked an MEL that restricted the aircraft to day VFR flight only.

Attributes
ACN	163208
Time
Date	199011
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hkg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	163208
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During a shift change in the dispatch office a MEL for #2 inverter was added by a dispatcher to an aircraft. This dispatcher was not in charge of releasing the aircraft and failed to inform either the going off duty dispatcher or the coming on duty dispatcher of the restrictive MEL. (Day VMC only). Mechanics control also failed to inform either dispatcher. The coming on duty dispatcher had already pulled up a MEL list to check flight. The going off duty dispatcher informed the coming on duty dispatcher that the MEL list had only one restrictive MEL. It did not include the #2 inverter inoperative. Factors: shift change confunsion, workload, not rechking MEL list, not seeing MEL display before flts, training other dispatchers. It was discovered by the training instrument at bgr before a training flight that evening. Flew aircraft to ewr next morning. During day VMC and had inverter fixed. Human factors: pilot not fully reading release papers. Dispatcher not fully reading MEL display or continuous check of MEL list. Mechanic control not informing dispatcher of a restriction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCH AND FLT CREW OVERLOOKED AN MEL THAT RESTRICTED THE ACFT TO DAY VFR FLT ONLY.

Narrative: DURING A SHIFT CHANGE IN THE DISPATCH OFFICE A MEL FOR #2 INVERTER WAS ADDED BY A DISPATCHER TO AN ACFT. THIS DISPATCHER WAS NOT IN CHARGE OF RELEASING THE ACFT AND FAILED TO INFORM EITHER THE GOING OFF DUTY DISPATCHER OR THE COMING ON DUTY DISPATCHER OF THE RESTRICTIVE MEL. (DAY VMC ONLY). MECHS CTL ALSO FAILED TO INFORM EITHER DISPATCHER. THE COMING ON DUTY DISPATCHER HAD ALREADY PULLED UP A MEL LIST TO CHK FLT. THE GOING OFF DUTY DISPATCHER INFORMED THE COMING ON DUTY DISPATCHER THAT THE MEL LIST HAD ONLY ONE RESTRICTIVE MEL. IT DID NOT INCLUDE THE #2 INVERTER INOPERATIVE. FACTORS: SHIFT CHANGE CONFUNSION, WORKLOAD, NOT RECHKING MEL LIST, NOT SEEING MEL DISPLAY BEFORE FLTS, TRNING OTHER DISPATCHERS. IT WAS DISCOVERED BY THE TRNING INSTR AT BGR BEFORE A TRNING FLT THAT EVENING. FLEW ACFT TO EWR NEXT MORNING. DURING DAY VMC AND HAD INVERTER FIXED. HUMAN FACTORS: PLT NOT FULLY READING RELEASE PAPERS. DISPATCHER NOT FULLY READING MEL DISPLAY OR CONTINUOUS CHK OF MEL LIST. MECH CTL NOT INFORMING DISPATCHER OF A RESTRICTION.

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.