A B737 flight crew fails to follow a speed restr set in the MEL.

Attributes
ACN	523790
Time
Date	200109
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff ground : preflight ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	523790
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flying with MEL for led position light system. Aircraft had leading edge flaps transit light and #2 transit light on when flaps 10 degrees or greater. Accomplished all pre-takeoff and pre-landing checks required by MEL for both legs (XXX-xx and XXX-XXX), but didn't think speed restr applied because no lights on with flaps up. I was corrected by maintenance control and flew remaining legs using speed restrs. The confusion for me came because I thought those restrs were based on the lights being inoperative only, when they are based on any erroneous indication from the system. In the future, I will read the MEL more carefully and follow it to the letter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW FAILS TO FOLLOW A SPD RESTR SET IN THE MEL.

Narrative: FLYING WITH MEL FOR LED POS LIGHT SYS. ACFT HAD LEADING EDGE FLAPS TRANSIT LIGHT AND #2 TRANSIT LIGHT ON WHEN FLAPS 10 DEGS OR GREATER. ACCOMPLISHED ALL PRE-TKOF AND PRE-LNDG CHKS REQUIRED BY MEL FOR BOTH LEGS (XXX-XX AND XXX-XXX), BUT DIDN'T THINK SPD RESTR APPLIED BECAUSE NO LIGHTS ON WITH FLAPS UP. I WAS CORRECTED BY MAINT CTL AND FLEW REMAINING LEGS USING SPD RESTRS. THE CONFUSION FOR ME CAME BECAUSE I THOUGHT THOSE RESTRS WERE BASED ON THE LIGHTS BEING INOP ONLY, WHEN THEY ARE BASED ON ANY ERRONEOUS INDICATION FROM THE SYS. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL READ THE MEL MORE CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW IT TO THE LETTER.

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.