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A B727-200 was dispatched into IMC conditions with the captain's flight director inoperative and deferred per the MEL but the reporter expressed concern over safety with this system inoperative.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 388539 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199712 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cvg |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | other ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10100 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 388539 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Aircraft was on second day of flying with captain's flight director on maintenance carry over. It had flown through several maintenance bases without repair. Air carrier allowance of this practice (ok by MEL) during increased IFR demonstrates continued abuse of MEL program and reliance by maintenance on 'shell game' to cut maintenance cost.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED INTO IMC CONDITIONS WITH THE CAPT'S FLT DIRECTOR INOP AND DEFERRED PER THE MEL BUT THE RPTR EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER SAFETY WITH THIS SYS INOP.
Narrative: ACFT WAS ON SECOND DAY OF FLYING WITH CAPT'S FLT DIRECTOR ON MAINT CARRY OVER. IT HAD FLOWN THROUGH SEVERAL MAINT BASES WITHOUT REPAIR. ACR ALLOWANCE OF THIS PRACTICE (OK BY MEL) DURING INCREASED IFR DEMONSTRATES CONTINUED ABUSE OF MEL PROGRAM AND RELIANCE BY MAINT ON 'SHELL GAME' TO CUT MAINT COST.
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.