<< >> NASA ASRS Report 242203, May 1993

Light transport PIC decries the vagaries of the air carrier's MEL requirements. Publication deficiency presentation.

Attributes
ACN	242203
Time
Date	199305
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	242203
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

An earlier crew had reported a noise from electrical station 130 behind first officer's head. Aircraft was test flown by crew with maintenance on board. No noise. Aircraft dispatched to ihd then bwi. Maintenance said to pull cvr circuit breaker if noise started up. Cvt-shd crew reported no problem. Just out of bwi noise started. Pulling circuit breaker to cvr stopped the noise. Captain called maintenance from phone in bwi. Talked with line supervisor. He gave MEL and control number. When captain questioned collaring the pulled circuit breaker, he replied 'captain had MEL and control number for inoperative cvr.' circuit breaker collar not required. Next day, crew called training department to ask if that had really been legal. At first, training department said no. Less than 5 mins later, called back saying read page 4 and 5 of operations manual. Operations manual defines inoperative versus operation and how to get a deferral. There is no way for crew to get a current reliable source of how maintenance can defer items.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT PIC DECRIES THE VAGARIES OF THE ACR'S MEL REQUIREMENTS. PUB DEFICIENCY PRESENTATION.

Narrative: AN EARLIER CREW HAD RPTED A NOISE FROM ELECTRICAL STATION 130 BEHIND FO'S HEAD. ACFT WAS TEST FLOWN BY CREW WITH MAINT ON BOARD. NO NOISE. ACFT DISPATCHED TO IHD THEN BWI. MAINT SAID TO PULL CVR CIRCUIT BREAKER IF NOISE STARTED UP. CVT-SHD CREW RPTED NO PROB. JUST OUT OF BWI NOISE STARTED. PULLING CIRCUIT BREAKER TO CVR STOPPED THE NOISE. CAPT CALLED MAINT FROM PHONE IN BWI. TALKED WITH LINE SUPVR. HE GAVE MEL AND CTL NUMBER. WHEN CAPT QUESTIONED COLLARING THE PULLED CIRCUIT BREAKER, HE REPLIED 'CAPT HAD MEL AND CTL NUMBER FOR INOP CVR.' CIRCUIT BREAKER COLLAR NOT REQUIRED. NEXT DAY, CREW CALLED TRAINING DEPT TO ASK IF THAT HAD REALLY BEEN LEGAL. AT FIRST, TRAINING DEPT SAID NO. LESS THAN 5 MINS LATER, CALLED BACK SAYING READ PAGE 4 AND 5 OF OPS MANUAL. OPS MANUAL DEFINES INOP VERSUS OP AND HOW TO GET A DEFERRAL. THERE IS NO WAY FOR CREW TO GET A CURRENT RELIABLE SOURCE OF HOW MAINT CAN DEFER ITEMS.

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.