<< >> NASA ASRS Report 346566, September 1996

MEL item incorrectly entered. The MEL said the component inoperative was the recirculating fans because of the warning lights. It was later discovered by reporter that the fans were inoperative and not the lights which couldn't be MEL'ed.

Attributes
ACN	346566
Time
Date	199609
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
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 : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	346566
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We picked up an airplane for a bos-pwm leg. The airplane had an MEL that was written up in the flight logbook as saying the recirculation fans were inoperative because the warning lights 'failed to report' when the switch was turned off. It was not until we were on our way to pwm that we realized it was written up wrong. The MEL # in the logbook was for the recirculation fans being inoperative -- not the lights associated with them. The 2 lights in question were not in the MEL and couldn't be MEL'ed. They are part of the warning system. In the future I will take a closer look at the wording in the MEL's and make sure they correspond with the MEL #.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEL ITEM INCORRECTLY ENTERED. THE MEL SAID THE COMPONENT INOP WAS THE RECIRCULATING FANS BECAUSE OF THE WARNING LIGHTS. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED BY RPTR THAT THE FANS WERE INOP AND NOT THE LIGHTS WHICH COULDN'T BE MEL'ED.

Narrative: WE PICKED UP AN AIRPLANE FOR A BOS-PWM LEG. THE AIRPLANE HAD AN MEL THAT WAS WRITTEN UP IN THE FLT LOGBOOK AS SAYING THE RECIRCULATION FANS WERE INOP BECAUSE THE WARNING LIGHTS 'FAILED TO RPT' WHEN THE SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO PWM THAT WE REALIZED IT WAS WRITTEN UP WRONG. THE MEL # IN THE LOGBOOK WAS FOR THE RECIRCULATION FANS BEING INOP -- NOT THE LIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. THE 2 LIGHTS IN QUESTION WERE NOT IN THE MEL AND COULDN'T BE MEL'ED. THEY ARE PART OF THE WARNING SYS. IN THE FUTURE I WILL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE WORDING IN THE MEL'S AND MAKE SURE THEY CORRESPOND WITH THE MEL #.

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.