A helicopter was dispatched with a deferred log report on the ADI in conflict with the MEL.

Attributes
ACN	408929
Time
Date	199804
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dca
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	408929
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During the morning daily aircraft check, it was determined the pilot's ADI was inoperative. My first instinct was it could not be MEL'ed. Further discussions convinced me it could. This was based on the remarks section referring to the standby attitude indicator. The next day another pilot reviewed the logs coming on duty and disagreed with what had been done. We removed an ADI from another aircraft, installed it in affected aircraft so it could be ferried to our main maintenance base so it would not block the helipad until we could get another instrument. I had been working 14 days in a row and the outside air temperature had been above 100 degrees F for several days. I had been pushing myself too long and hard. The master MEL should reference flight instruments by normal industry nomenclature. It can lead to confusion in decision making processes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HELI WAS DISPATCHED WITH A DEFERRED LOG RPT ON THE ADI IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

Narrative: DURING THE MORNING DAILY ACFT CHK, IT WAS DETERMINED THE PLT'S ADI WAS INOP. MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS IT COULD NOT BE MEL'ED. FURTHER DISCUSSIONS CONVINCED ME IT COULD. THIS WAS BASED ON THE REMARKS SECTION REFERRING TO THE STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR. THE NEXT DAY ANOTHER PLT REVIEWED THE LOGS COMING ON DUTY AND DISAGREED WITH WHAT HAD BEEN DONE. WE REMOVED AN ADI FROM ANOTHER ACFT, INSTALLED IT IN AFFECTED ACFT SO IT COULD BE FERRIED TO OUR MAIN MAINT BASE SO IT WOULD NOT BLOCK THE HELIPAD UNTIL WE COULD GET ANOTHER INST. I HAD BEEN WORKING 14 DAYS IN A ROW AND THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP HAD BEEN ABOVE 100 DEGS F FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I HAD BEEN PUSHING MYSELF TOO LONG AND HARD. THE MASTER MEL SHOULD REF FLT INSTS BY NORMAL INDUSTRY NOMENCLATURE. IT CAN LEAD TO CONFUSION IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.

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.