An air carrier's MEL procedures were not followed.

Attributes
ACN	268111
Time
Date	199404
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ome
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : stl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	268111
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far 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
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

The co-pilots turn coordinator had been previously deferred on 3/thurs/94. Its repair was required by 4/sun/94. The ome mechanic had failed to inform company maintenance of the deferred items which are normally entered into a master log so dates may be tracked. The aircraft went through an inspection on 4/fri/94, and again the mechanics failed to enter the deferred items in the master log. Finally the items were discovered overdue on 4/mon/94. I had flown the aircraft with an overdue item in the MEL on 4/thurs/fri/sat/94 during scheduled commuter operations. A company investigation showed that there were problems with the procedures used to defer items of the MEL. New procedures include entering a note on each page of the daily flight log to insure the check of deferred item due dates. Since the MEL was a separate document, its daily inspection was easily overlooked, however now with the required flight log sign off, due dates will not be inadvertently overflown.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR'S MEL PROCS WERE NOT FOLLOWED.

Narrative: THE CO-PLTS TURN COORDINATOR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY DEFERRED ON 3/THURS/94. ITS REPAIR WAS REQUIRED BY 4/SUN/94. THE OME MECH HAD FAILED TO INFORM COMPANY MAINT OF THE DEFERRED ITEMS WHICH ARE NORMALLY ENTERED INTO A MASTER LOG SO DATES MAY BE TRACKED. THE ACFT WENT THROUGH AN INSPECTION ON 4/FRI/94, AND AGAIN THE MECHS FAILED TO ENTER THE DEFERRED ITEMS IN THE MASTER LOG. FINALLY THE ITEMS WERE DISCOVERED OVERDUE ON 4/MON/94. I HAD FLOWN THE ACFT WITH AN OVERDUE ITEM IN THE MEL ON 4/THURS/FRI/SAT/94 DURING SCHEDULED COMMUTER OPS. A COMPANY INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THERE WERE PROBS WITH THE PROCS USED TO DEFER ITEMS OF THE MEL. NEW PROCS INCLUDE ENTERING A NOTE ON EACH PAGE OF THE DAILY FLT LOG TO INSURE THE CHK OF DEFERRED ITEM DUE DATES. SINCE THE MEL WAS A SEPARATE DOCUMENT, ITS DAILY INSPECTION WAS EASILY OVERLOOKED, HOWEVER NOW WITH THE REQUIRED FLT LOG SIGN OFF, DUE DATES WILL NOT BE INADVERTENTLY OVERFLOWN.

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.