FAA inspector found that the autothrottle switch had not been placarded as inoperative as required b...

Attributes
ACN	432551
Time
Date	199903
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	432557
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : aci 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our aircraft arrived at the gate in ord. The arriving crew had a maintenance write-up. The arriving captain called flight control to dmi the autothrottles, which would not stay engaged. The arriving captain then obtained a dmi from maintenance control under our MEL and an amended release from flight control for the MEL item. The arriving captain told me the paperwork had been taken care of. This writer then made the amendment to the flight release. In the meantime, an FAA inspector arrived wanting to do an en route inspection. Our flight was overbooked and we were weight limited. This writer explained we would have to bump revenue to accommodate him. He replied would/could not deny him jump seat. Our #1 flight attendant found a broken safety wire on one of our emergency flashlights. This writer wrote the maintenance discrepancy up and called for maintenance to repair the broken wire. Our flight control wanted this writer to bump the FAA inspector. I would not get involved in the conflict and boarded the inspector. Because we were weight limited, this writer wanted to carry more fuel than the minimum allowed. After the wire was repaired we departed late. Also, with minimum IFR fuel. After we were underway, the FAA inspector found the autothrottle switch had not been placarded by the previous captain. During all the confusion, this writer missed the placarding. The FAA should not be able to create this kind of confusion during a flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR FOUND THAT THE AUTOTHROTTLE SWITCH HAD NOT BEEN PLACARDED AS INOP AS REQUIRED BY THE ACFT'S MEL DEFERRED MAINT PROCS.

Narrative: OUR ACFT ARRIVED AT THE GATE IN ORD. THE ARRIVING CREW HAD A MAINT WRITE-UP. THE ARRIVING CAPT CALLED FLT CTL TO DMI THE AUTOTHROTTLES, WHICH WOULD NOT STAY ENGAGED. THE ARRIVING CAPT THEN OBTAINED A DMI FROM MAINT CTL UNDER OUR MEL AND AN AMENDED RELEASE FROM FLT CTL FOR THE MEL ITEM. THE ARRIVING CAPT TOLD ME THE PAPERWORK HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. THIS WRITER THEN MADE THE AMENDMENT TO THE FLT RELEASE. IN THE MEANTIME, AN FAA INSPECTOR ARRIVED WANTING TO DO AN ENRTE INSPECTION. OUR FLT WAS OVERBOOKED AND WE WERE WT LIMITED. THIS WRITER EXPLAINED WE WOULD HAVE TO BUMP REVENUE TO ACCOMMODATE HIM. HE REPLIED WOULD/COULD NOT DENY HIM JUMP SEAT. OUR #1 FLT ATTENDANT FOUND A BROKEN SAFETY WIRE ON ONE OF OUR EMER FLASHLIGHTS. THIS WRITER WROTE THE MAINT DISCREPANCY UP AND CALLED FOR MAINT TO REPAIR THE BROKEN WIRE. OUR FLT CTL WANTED THIS WRITER TO BUMP THE FAA INSPECTOR. I WOULD NOT GET INVOLVED IN THE CONFLICT AND BOARDED THE INSPECTOR. BECAUSE WE WERE WT LIMITED, THIS WRITER WANTED TO CARRY MORE FUEL THAN THE MINIMUM ALLOWED. AFTER THE WIRE WAS REPAIRED WE DEPARTED LATE. ALSO, WITH MINIMUM IFR FUEL. AFTER WE WERE UNDERWAY, THE FAA INSPECTOR FOUND THE AUTOTHROTTLE SWITCH HAD NOT BEEN PLACARDED BY THE PREVIOUS CAPT. DURING ALL THE CONFUSION, THIS WRITER MISSED THE PLACARDING. THE FAA SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CREATE THIS KIND OF CONFUSION DURING A FLT.

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.

FAA inspector found that the autothrottle switch had not been placarded as inoperative as required by the aircraft's MEL deferred maintenance procedures.