Improper maintenance procedure -- placard.

Attributes
ACN	295490
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A310
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	295490
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During pushback the APU quit -- everything dark -- dumped all FMC, inertials, etc. Tried a restart got an APU fault. A 300-600ER. Told the ramp we needed an airstart and external power. Did a standby generator check because we were flying from jfk to mia with some 'extended overwater' and this check I knew was required for an inoperative APU over water. We got external power and air and then needed to deice. I was in a hurry because we were now late with lots of connecting passenger in miami who would miss flts, many to south america. We blasted off and airborne I decided to look at the MEL for APU inoperative, said can go, however, maintenance must placard it, not the crew. I had written it up and having flown many times with the APU inoperative, I just assumed it was a crew placard able item which it was not. Although nothing was unsafe, I just fault myself for not looking it up earlier and being in a hurry. I didn't go by the letter of the law. It was fixed when we got to miami.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER MAINT PROC -- PLACARD.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK THE APU QUIT -- EVERYTHING DARK -- DUMPED ALL FMC, INERTIALS, ETC. TRIED A RESTART GOT AN APU FAULT. A 300-600ER. TOLD THE RAMP WE NEEDED AN AIRSTART AND EXTERNAL PWR. DID A STANDBY GENERATOR CHK BECAUSE WE WERE FLYING FROM JFK TO MIA WITH SOME 'EXTENDED OVERWATER' AND THIS CHK I KNEW WAS REQUIRED FOR AN INOP APU OVER WATER. WE GOT EXTERNAL PWR AND AIR AND THEN NEEDED TO DEICE. I WAS IN A HURRY BECAUSE WE WERE NOW LATE WITH LOTS OF CONNECTING PAX IN MIAMI WHO WOULD MISS FLTS, MANY TO S AMERICA. WE BLASTED OFF AND AIRBORNE I DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE MEL FOR APU INOP, SAID CAN GO, HOWEVER, MAINT MUST PLACARD IT, NOT THE CREW. I HAD WRITTEN IT UP AND HAVING FLOWN MANY TIMES WITH THE APU INOP, I JUST ASSUMED IT WAS A CREW PLACARD ABLE ITEM WHICH IT WAS NOT. ALTHOUGH NOTHING WAS UNSAFE, I JUST FAULT MYSELF FOR NOT LOOKING IT UP EARLIER AND BEING IN A HURRY. I DIDN'T GO BY THE LETTER OF THE LAW. IT WAS FIXED WHEN WE GOT TO MIAMI.

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.