Narrative:

When we received the aircraft it had 3 write-ups on it. They were APU inoperative, left thrust reverser inoperative, and anti-skid inoperative. The aircraft was signed off and released for flight by maintenance. We flew the trip uneventfully from houston to atlanta. Upon reaching atlanta we were advised that the aircraft was grounded as it had been released illegally with both the left thrust reverser inoperative and the anti-skid inoperative. We had no idea that it was illegal to fly with both these system inoperative at the same time as the aircraft had been released by maintenance control. Also, on reading the front part of the MEL, there is no mention of the aircraft being illegal to fly under these circumstances. It shows up only in the back part of the MEL. I think that a xref in the front part of the MEL would help prevent this problem from recurring. Supplemental information from acn 208799: upon arriving at the aircraft, the captain said the aircraft had the left thrust reverser inoperative and the anti-skid right inboard was inoperative. The mechanics came to the aircraft and apparently wanted to get the aircraft out. They placarded the anti-skid inoperative. Unbeknownst to us that with thrust reversers inoperative and anti-skid inoperative, these are crossing items and grounds the aircraft. Dispatch did not tell us this, nor does our book (MEL) say anything about the items grounding the airplane. Solution: if this kind of thing is going to ground the airplane (we need to know this information) put it in our books.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ACCEPTS AND FLIES ACFT WITHOUT PROPER CONSIDERATION OF THE MEL REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: WHEN WE RECEIVED THE ACFT IT HAD 3 WRITE-UPS ON IT. THEY WERE APU INOP, L THRUST REVERSER INOP, AND ANTI-SKID INOP. THE ACFT WAS SIGNED OFF AND RELEASED FOR FLT BY MAINT. WE FLEW THE TRIP UNEVENTFULLY FROM HOUSTON TO ATLANTA. UPON REACHING ATLANTA WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE ACFT WAS GNDED AS IT HAD BEEN RELEASED ILLEGALLY WITH BOTH THE L THRUST REVERSER INOP AND THE ANTI-SKID INOP. WE HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL TO FLY WITH BOTH THESE SYS INOP AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ACFT HAD BEEN RELEASED BY MAINT CTL. ALSO, ON READING THE FRONT PART OF THE MEL, THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE ACFT BEING ILLEGAL TO FLY UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. IT SHOWS UP ONLY IN THE BACK PART OF THE MEL. I THINK THAT A XREF IN THE FRONT PART OF THE MEL WOULD HELP PREVENT THIS PROBLEM FROM RECURRING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 208799: UPON ARRIVING AT THE ACFT, THE CAPT SAID THE ACFT HAD THE L THRUST REVERSER INOP AND THE ANTI-SKID R INBOARD WAS INOP. THE MECHS CAME TO THE ACFT AND APPARENTLY WANTED TO GET THE ACFT OUT. THEY PLACARDED THE ANTI-SKID INOP. UNBEKNOWNST TO US THAT WITH THRUST REVERSERS INOP AND ANTI-SKID INOP, THESE ARE XING ITEMS AND GNDS THE ACFT. DISPATCH DID NOT TELL US THIS, NOR DOES OUR BOOK (MEL) SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE ITEMS GNDING THE AIRPLANE. SOLUTION: IF THIS KIND OF THING IS GOING TO GND THE AIRPLANE (WE NEED TO KNOW THIS INFO) PUT IT IN OUR BOOKS.

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.