Narrative:

On arrival at aircraft and prior to departure from departure station I checked the MEL for compliance of actions required for dmi (deferred maintenance item) written on log page zyzy, MEL 32-13 and page zxy of MEL. Left wing tilt inoperative in primary, ok in secondary. One of the requirements to be able to dmi this item is the operational status of the fuel jettison dump system. This is required in the event that the alternate system goes bad prior to gear retraction. The aircraft does not have to make an overweight landing. Although it does not state that the system has to be tested on the ground prior to each departure, it does say in the MEL that the system must be operational in order to dmi this particular item. When I inquired from the flight mechanic onboard, abc XXX a&P wvwv, if this test was done, he told me it had not been done since in his opinion it was not required. I spoke to maintenance control and both persons on duty agreed that this test should have been done. If it had not been done, it should be done at this time. When the flight mechanic talked to maintenance control, he argued that he could not do this test at this time and make a logbook entry because that would be admitting that he had fouled up when he initially wrote up the dmi. I tried to explain that each leg flown since the dmi write-up was a potential violation. I was overruled under protest. The maintenance control people told me that since the fuel jettison system was not written up and dmi'd, it was therefore considered operational. I argued against this kind of logic and was overruled. I asked to talk to dispatch and requested that my objections be recorded as I was going to self disclose to the FAA when I got back to the unites states of america.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE L WING GEAR PRIMARY TILT SYS DEFERRED BUT THE MEL SPECIAL PROCS WERE NOT ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: ON ARR AT ACFT AND PRIOR TO DEP FROM DEP STATION I CHKED THE MEL FOR COMPLIANCE OF ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR DMI (DEFERRED MAINT ITEM) WRITTEN ON LOG PAGE ZYZY, MEL 32-13 AND PAGE ZXY OF MEL. L WING TILT INOP IN PRIMARY, OK IN SECONDARY. ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE ABLE TO DMI THIS ITEM IS THE OPERATIONAL STATUS OF THE FUEL JETTISON DUMP SYS. THIS IS REQUIRED IN THE EVENT THAT THE ALTERNATE SYS GOES BAD PRIOR TO GEAR RETRACTION. THE ACFT DOES NOT HAVE TO MAKE AN OVERWT LNDG. ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT STATE THAT THE SYS HAS TO BE TESTED ON THE GND PRIOR TO EACH DEP, IT DOES SAY IN THE MEL THAT THE SYS MUST BE OPERATIONAL IN ORDER TO DMI THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. WHEN I INQUIRED FROM THE FLT MECH ONBOARD, ABC XXX A&P WVWV, IF THIS TEST WAS DONE, HE TOLD ME IT HAD NOT BEEN DONE SINCE IN HIS OPINION IT WAS NOT REQUIRED. I SPOKE TO MAINT CTL AND BOTH PERSONS ON DUTY AGREED THAT THIS TEST SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN DONE, IT SHOULD BE DONE AT THIS TIME. WHEN THE FLT MECH TALKED TO MAINT CTL, HE ARGUED THAT HE COULD NOT DO THIS TEST AT THIS TIME AND MAKE A LOGBOOK ENTRY BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE ADMITTING THAT HE HAD FOULED UP WHEN HE INITIALLY WROTE UP THE DMI. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT EACH LEG FLOWN SINCE THE DMI WRITE-UP WAS A POTENTIAL VIOLATION. I WAS OVERRULED UNDER PROTEST. THE MAINT CTL PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT SINCE THE FUEL JETTISON SYS WAS NOT WRITTEN UP AND DMI'D, IT WAS THEREFORE CONSIDERED OPERATIONAL. I ARGUED AGAINST THIS KIND OF LOGIC AND WAS OVERRULED. I ASKED TO TALK TO DISPATCH AND REQUESTED THAT MY OBJECTIONS BE RECORDED AS I WAS GOING TO SELF DISCLOSE TO THE FAA WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE UNITES STATES OF AMERICA.

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.