Light transport sent on line with MEL item inoperative after 3 day period of logbook entry.

Attributes
ACN	205691
Time
Date	199203
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msy
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	205691
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft has 2 landing gear indicating system. System B was deferred on mar/xx/92. System B appeared to be operating normally. On our MEL this is a category B item. This means that the fault must be corrected by midnight of the third day following the writeup. The 3 day period starts at the next midnight after the writeup. In this case, the 3 day period started mar/xx. The aircraft could not be flown starting midnight mar/xy. On the morning of xy, I completed the outside preflight and the captain took care of the interior, including the maintenance clipboard. The airplane took off and completed the flight without incident. The landing gear operated normally. Better xchking on the part of the crew could have helped. The company should not have given us an airplane which required this kind of maintenance that could not be done at msy. My child was born on mar xx. I would rather have not done the trip. I had to do the trip for financial considerations. I may have been preoccupied with his arrival!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT SENT ON LINE WITH MEL ITEM INOP AFTER 3 DAY PERIOD OF LOGBOOK ENTRY.

Narrative: ACFT HAS 2 LNDG GEAR INDICATING SYS. SYS B WAS DEFERRED ON MAR/XX/92. SYS B APPEARED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. ON OUR MEL THIS IS A CATEGORY B ITEM. THIS MEANS THAT THE FAULT MUST BE CORRECTED BY MIDNIGHT OF THE THIRD DAY FOLLOWING THE WRITEUP. THE 3 DAY PERIOD STARTS AT THE NEXT MIDNIGHT AFTER THE WRITEUP. IN THIS CASE, THE 3 DAY PERIOD STARTED MAR/XX. THE ACFT COULD NOT BE FLOWN STARTING MIDNIGHT MAR/XY. ON THE MORNING OF XY, I COMPLETED THE OUTSIDE PREFLT AND THE CAPT TOOK CARE OF THE INTERIOR, INCLUDING THE MAINT CLIPBOARD. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF AND COMPLETED THE FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE LNDG GEAR OPERATED NORMALLY. BETTER XCHKING ON THE PART OF THE CREW COULD HAVE HELPED. THE COMPANY SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN US AN AIRPLANE WHICH REQUIRED THIS KIND OF MAINT THAT COULD NOT BE DONE AT MSY. MY CHILD WAS BORN ON MAR XX. I WOULD RATHER HAVE NOT DONE THE TRIP. I HAD TO DO THE TRIP FOR FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS. I MAY HAVE BEEN PREOCCUPIED WITH HIS ARR!

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.