Narrative:

We took off out of fll on flight with a # of items placarded inoperative. After takeoff we realized that 2 of the items; i.e., fuel gauge and fuel xfeed could not both be placarded, only one or the other. We felt the problems that could arise could be bad enough, so we diverted into mia to get 1 of the items fixed. We were pressed to get off on time out of fll because of crew duty time, and the injunction against us at air carrier, which accused us of slowdown tactics. These 2 factors made us in such a hurry that we missed the MEL problem. Supplemental information from acn 167096: our departure from flight was delayed due to the fact that the flight was full and several of the passenger were wheel chair cases. Thus, we were delayed in completing the shutdown checklist. We were under pressure to depart by XY20, as this was the latest that we could depart and still remain legal. A later departure would have caused us to exceed 14 hours on duty and thus a trip cnx. This was further complicated by the fact that our pilots are under a temporary restraining order against an alleged illegal job action. I arrived in the cockpit at XY05 with 15 mins to get the trip out. Upon reviewing the landing, I noted that the #3 fuel gauge was inoperative. I became concerned about having the correct amount of fuel on the #3 tank as the fuel slip had an error of 600 pounds. I had the agent call dispatch for a rerelease. With my fixation on the #3 fuel gauge, I completely missed the fact that the #1 fuel xfeed valve was also placarded, and that, in combination with the #3 fuel gauge being inoperative made the aircraft illegal. Fll maintenance also missed this fact when they placarded the #3 fuel gauge. Tul tech missed it when they approved the placard and ftw dispatch missed it when they listed the #1 xfeed and the #3 fuel gauge as being inoperative on the flight plan. What truly concerns me is the fact that both dispatch and tul wanted us to continue to dfw. The route of flight would have taken us across the gulf on J58, and dfw WX was bad enough to require a shv alternate. To do as they suggested would have been criminal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT DEPARTS ARPT WITHOUT ACFT EQUIPMENT IN ACCORD WITH MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF OUT OF FLL ON FLT WITH A # OF ITEMS PLACARDED INOP. AFTER TKOF WE REALIZED THAT 2 OF THE ITEMS; I.E., FUEL GAUGE AND FUEL XFEED COULD NOT BOTH BE PLACARDED, ONLY ONE OR THE OTHER. WE FELT THE PROBS THAT COULD ARISE COULD BE BAD ENOUGH, SO WE DIVERTED INTO MIA TO GET 1 OF THE ITEMS FIXED. WE WERE PRESSED TO GET OFF ON TIME OUT OF FLL BECAUSE OF CREW DUTY TIME, AND THE INJUNCTION AGAINST US AT ACR, WHICH ACCUSED US OF SLOWDOWN TACTICS. THESE 2 FACTORS MADE US IN SUCH A HURRY THAT WE MISSED THE MEL PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 167096: OUR DEP FROM FLT WAS DELAYED DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FLT WAS FULL AND SEVERAL OF THE PAX WERE WHEEL CHAIR CASES. THUS, WE WERE DELAYED IN COMPLETING THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. WE WERE UNDER PRESSURE TO DEPART BY XY20, AS THIS WAS THE LATEST THAT WE COULD DEPART AND STILL REMAIN LEGAL. A LATER DEP WOULD HAVE CAUSED US TO EXCEED 14 HRS ON DUTY AND THUS A TRIP CNX. THIS WAS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT OUR PLTS ARE UNDER A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST AN ALLEGED ILLEGAL JOB ACTION. I ARRIVED IN THE COCKPIT AT XY05 WITH 15 MINS TO GET THE TRIP OUT. UPON REVIEWING THE LNDG, I NOTED THAT THE #3 FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP. I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL ON THE #3 TANK AS THE FUEL SLIP HAD AN ERROR OF 600 LBS. I HAD THE AGENT CALL DISPATCH FOR A RERELEASE. WITH MY FIXATION ON THE #3 FUEL GAUGE, I COMPLETELY MISSED THE FACT THAT THE #1 FUEL XFEED VALVE WAS ALSO PLACARDED, AND THAT, IN COMBINATION WITH THE #3 FUEL GAUGE BEING INOP MADE THE ACFT ILLEGAL. FLL MAINT ALSO MISSED THIS FACT WHEN THEY PLACARDED THE #3 FUEL GAUGE. TUL TECH MISSED IT WHEN THEY APPROVED THE PLACARD AND FTW DISPATCH MISSED IT WHEN THEY LISTED THE #1 XFEED AND THE #3 FUEL GAUGE AS BEING INOP ON THE FLT PLAN. WHAT TRULY CONCERNS ME IS THE FACT THAT BOTH DISPATCH AND TUL WANTED US TO CONTINUE TO DFW. THE RTE OF FLT WOULD HAVE TAKEN US ACROSS THE GULF ON J58, AND DFW WX WAS BAD ENOUGH TO REQUIRE A SHV ALTERNATE. TO DO AS THEY SUGGESTED WOULD HAVE BEEN CRIMINAL.

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.