A jetstream 4100 was dispatched without the MEL manual boarded as per company procedures.

Attributes
ACN	448190
Time
Date	199909
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 41
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 119
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	448190
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Our aircraft had a maintenance problem in boston. I took the aircraft logbook and MEL inside our operations to coordinate with maintenance control. Air carrier contract mechanics fixed the aircraft. While they finished up the logbook paperwork, the rest of the crew and I went back to the aircraft to board the flight. The mechanic told me he would bring the paperwork out to the airplane when he was done. He brought the logbook out to the airplane, but not the MEL. We flew the aircraft to iad without the MEL. Our chief pilot advised us that we were ok without the MEL because at the time there were no open deferral items on the aircraft. The MEL was replaced in iad.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A JETSTREAM 4100 WAS DISPATCHED WITHOUT THE MEL MANUAL BOARDED AS PER COMPANY PROCS.

Narrative: OUR ACFT HAD A MAINT PROB IN BOSTON. I TOOK THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND MEL INSIDE OUR OPS TO COORDINATE WITH MAINT CTL. ACR CONTRACT MECHS FIXED THE ACFT. WHILE THEY FINISHED UP THE LOGBOOK PAPERWORK, THE REST OF THE CREW AND I WENT BACK TO THE ACFT TO BOARD THE FLT. THE MECH TOLD ME HE WOULD BRING THE PAPERWORK OUT TO THE AIRPLANE WHEN HE WAS DONE. HE BROUGHT THE LOGBOOK OUT TO THE AIRPLANE, BUT NOT THE MEL. WE FLEW THE ACFT TO IAD WITHOUT THE MEL. OUR CHIEF PLT ADVISED US THAT WE WERE OK WITHOUT THE MEL BECAUSE AT THE TIME THERE WERE NO OPEN DEFERRAL ITEMS ON THE ACFT. THE MEL WAS REPLACED IN IAD.

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.