Narrative:

After arriving on scheduled flight into washington dulles, we were advised to call crew scheduling for possible rerouting due to approaching storm on east coast. Blizzard conditions were being forecast for what would be referred to by many rptrs the next day as the 'storm of the century.' the crew coordinators were not all organized, but they finally determined we were to take an aircraft still inbound to iad and ferry it to dtw. All our planes in the affected areas were being evacuate/evacuationed to avoid being stuck in the approaching WX system. When the aircraft arrived at the gate, the crew noted the 'automatic spoiler do not use' light illuminated. We had no maintenance and had to use a mechanic from another carrier. We called maintenance control to determine the fix and take care of logbook documentation. We were racing the clock as it was starting to snow, but still melting instantly (temperature 34 degrees F). We could raise no one on the 800 number. Iad operations finally called flight planning office and they switched us to maintenance. MEL book states we can have no contamination on takeoff runway with automatic spoilers inoperative. Mechanic and maintenance eventually got squared away. I kept maintenance on phone throughout process, made sure logbook was correct, while mechanic made spoiler checks. We finally got out of operations to aircraft and departed iad just ahead of snow storm which later closed the airport. En route to dtw on ferry flight, I realized I had spent all my time on phone with maintenance and had not contacted dispatch. Our signed release did not have automatic spoiler MEL added. We were very light weight and legal. Our rush to beat the storm coupled with initial inability to get hold of maintenance diverted my attention from my responsibility of coordinating with dispatcher.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW TOOK OFF WITHOUT PROPER DISPATCH AUTHORITY AND MEL CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING ON SCHEDULED FLT INTO WASHINGTON DULLES, WE WERE ADVISED TO CALL CREW SCHEDULING FOR POSSIBLE REROUTING DUE TO APCHING STORM ON E COAST. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WERE BEING FORECAST FOR WHAT WOULD BE REFERRED TO BY MANY RPTRS THE NEXT DAY AS THE 'STORM OF THE CENTURY.' THE CREW COORDINATORS WERE NOT ALL ORGANIZED, BUT THEY FINALLY DETERMINED WE WERE TO TAKE AN ACFT STILL INBOUND TO IAD AND FERRY IT TO DTW. ALL OUR PLANES IN THE AFFECTED AREAS WERE BEING EVACED TO AVOID BEING STUCK IN THE APCHING WX SYS. WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVED AT THE GATE, THE CREW NOTED THE 'AUTO SPOILER DO NOT USE' LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE HAD NO MAINT AND HAD TO USE A MECH FROM ANOTHER CARRIER. WE CALLED MAINT CTL TO DETERMINE THE FIX AND TAKE CARE OF LOGBOOK DOCUMENTATION. WE WERE RACING THE CLOCK AS IT WAS STARTING TO SNOW, BUT STILL MELTING INSTANTLY (TEMP 34 DEGS F). WE COULD RAISE NO ONE ON THE 800 NUMBER. IAD OPS FINALLY CALLED FLT PLANNING OFFICE AND THEY SWITCHED US TO MAINT. MEL BOOK STATES WE CAN HAVE NO CONTAMINATION ON TKOF RWY WITH AUTO SPOILERS INOP. MECH AND MAINT EVENTUALLY GOT SQUARED AWAY. I KEPT MAINT ON PHONE THROUGHOUT PROCESS, MADE SURE LOGBOOK WAS CORRECT, WHILE MECH MADE SPOILER CHKS. WE FINALLY GOT OUT OF OPS TO ACFT AND DEPARTED IAD JUST AHEAD OF SNOW STORM WHICH LATER CLOSED THE ARPT. ENRTE TO DTW ON FERRY FLT, I REALIZED I HAD SPENT ALL MY TIME ON PHONE WITH MAINT AND HAD NOT CONTACTED DISPATCH. OUR SIGNED RELEASE DID NOT HAVE AUTO SPOILER MEL ADDED. WE WERE VERY LIGHT WT AND LEGAL. OUR RUSH TO BEAT THE STORM COUPLED WITH INITIAL INABILITY TO GET HOLD OF MAINT DIVERTED MY ATTN FROM MY RESPONSIBILITY OF COORDINATING WITH DISPATCHER.

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.