An air carrier widebody transport crew misread their MEL publication.

Attributes
ACN	259959
Time
Date	199312
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	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 : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 8400 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	259959
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

We had a #1 engine high pressure bleed valve stuck closed. The captain and so looked at the book and talked to maintenance while I talked to ground. The captain read a note that said if you close the valve, no maintenance is required and took it to relieve us of the requirement to get dispatch approval. I didn't read the book (MEL). In-flight, our dispatcher called and was upset we hadn't conferred. Rereading the MEL, the captain thought he'd been wrong and we should have at least gotten dispatch approval. We agreed the MEL item was poorly written since it said maintenance required (M) at the top and no maintenance required later in a note. Problems? Maybe everyone should read the book!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB CREW MISREAD THEIR MEL PUB.

Narrative: WE HAD A #1 ENG HIGH PRESSURE BLEED VALVE STUCK CLOSED. THE CAPT AND SO LOOKED AT THE BOOK AND TALKED TO MAINT WHILE I TALKED TO GND. THE CAPT READ A NOTE THAT SAID IF YOU CLOSE THE VALVE, NO MAINT IS REQUIRED AND TOOK IT TO RELIEVE US OF THE REQUIREMENT TO GET DISPATCH APPROVAL. I DIDN'T READ THE BOOK (MEL). INFLT, OUR DISPATCHER CALLED AND WAS UPSET WE HADN'T CONFERRED. REREADING THE MEL, THE CAPT THOUGHT HE'D BEEN WRONG AND WE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST GOTTEN DISPATCH APPROVAL. WE AGREED THE MEL ITEM WAS POORLY WRITTEN SINCE IT SAID MAINT REQUIRED (M) AT THE TOP AND NO MAINT REQUIRED LATER IN A NOTE. PROBS? MAYBE EVERYONE SHOULD READ THE BOOK!

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.