B737-200 crew was released with an MEL item not shown on the dispatch release.

Attributes
ACN	496063
Time
Date	200012
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : anc.airport
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : den.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	496063
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	496070
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

We were operating flight anc-fai. The previous crew using our aircraft conducted an en route MEL concerning a discharged halon bottle. When the aircraft arrived for our use, maintenance replaced the bottle and we never received an MEL on our paperwork. During our flight to fai, we were notified by company that there may have been an unclred MEL on our aircraft. The captain discussed this with maintenance dispatch on the ground in fai, and the aircraft was cleared. When studying the maintenance log further, we discovered it had been released per an MEL. We should have questioned why our paperwork never showed an MEL, since it was printed before the bottle was replaced.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 CREW WAS RELEASED WITH AN MEL ITEM NOT SHOWN ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE.

Narrative: WE WERE OPERATING FLT ANC-FAI. THE PREVIOUS CREW USING OUR ACFT CONDUCTED AN ENRTE MEL CONCERNING A DISCHARGED HALON BOTTLE. WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVED FOR OUR USE, MAINT REPLACED THE BOTTLE AND WE NEVER RECEIVED AN MEL ON OUR PAPERWORK. DURING OUR FLT TO FAI, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY COMPANY THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN UNCLRED MEL ON OUR ACFT. THE CAPT DISCUSSED THIS WITH MAINT DISPATCH ON THE GND IN FAI, AND THE ACFT WAS CLRED. WHEN STUDYING THE MAINT LOG FURTHER, WE DISCOVERED IT HAD BEEN RELEASED PER AN MEL. WE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED WHY OUR PAPERWORK NEVER SHOWED AN MEL, SINCE IT WAS PRINTED BEFORE THE BOTTLE WAS REPLACED.

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.