Narrative:

The captain informed me that a portion of the ski-jump fairing assembly (main gear door wheel well blade seal assembly) was missing. The flight would normally be dispatched after an amendment for cdl #32/1011 was added with a minor performance penalty. A maintenance foreman attached to the dispatch office advised that the company engineering department had issued written authorization. With the concurrence of the FAA that the cdl need not be applied. There was no change to the MEL manual nor any evidence of a temporary amendment to the MEL list. The MEL is a dispatch document. Any changes must be made with the knowledge and consent of both the flight department and dispatch management and should be communicated to the appropriate parties in an expeditious manner. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that the aircraft was a boeing 737-300 or 400. The 'ski jump fairing' has several parts. The cdl and MEL would apply only if all of the fairing is missing. Had the captain insisted that the fairing be fixed, maintenance would either have to fix the fairing or remove all of it and then apply the MEL and cdl. The penalty for the missing fairing is only 100 pounds for a 140000 pound aircraft. The reporting dispatcher does not think that there have been any changes in this MEL/cdl situation since submission of the report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THERE IS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEL AND CDL REGARDING THE MAIN GEAR DOOR WHEEL WELL BLADE SEAL ASSEMBLY.

Narrative: THE CAPT INFORMED ME THAT A PORTION OF THE SKI-JUMP FAIRING ASSEMBLY (MAIN GEAR DOOR WHEEL WELL BLADE SEAL ASSEMBLY) WAS MISSING. THE FLT WOULD NORMALLY BE DISPATCHED AFTER AN AMENDMENT FOR CDL #32/1011 WAS ADDED WITH A MINOR PERFORMANCE PENALTY. A MAINT FOREMAN ATTACHED TO THE DISPATCH OFFICE ADVISED THAT THE COMPANY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAD ISSUED WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION. WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE FAA THAT THE CDL NEED NOT BE APPLIED. THERE WAS NO CHANGE TO THE MEL MANUAL NOR ANY EVIDENCE OF A TEMPORARY AMENDMENT TO THE MEL LIST. THE MEL IS A DISPATCH DOCUMENT. ANY CHANGES MUST BE MADE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT OF BOTH THE FLT DEPARTMENT AND DISPATCH MGMNT AND SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO THE APPROPRIATE PARTIES IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT THE ACFT WAS A BOEING 737-300 OR 400. THE 'SKI JUMP FAIRING' HAS SEVERAL PARTS. THE CDL AND MEL WOULD APPLY ONLY IF ALL OF THE FAIRING IS MISSING. HAD THE CAPT INSISTED THAT THE FAIRING BE FIXED, MAINT WOULD EITHER HAVE TO FIX THE FAIRING OR REMOVE ALL OF IT AND THEN APPLY THE MEL AND CDL. THE PENALTY FOR THE MISSING FAIRING IS ONLY 100 LBS FOR A 140000 LB ACFT. THE RPTING DISPATCHER DOES NOT THINK THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ANY CHANGES IN THIS MEL/CDL SIT SINCE SUBMISSION OF THE RPT.

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.