A B737-300 was dispatched in non compliance with both wing leading edge flap indication panels deferred as inoperative in conflict with the MEL.

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Attributes
ACN	568801
Time
Date	200212
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
ASRS Report	568801
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : le flap and slat indication other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : unqualified personnel performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon arrival of the flight, the captain indicated to me he had a maintenance problem. I went to the cockpit window to talk to him. He told me the leading edge flap transit light was on and overhead flap #3 transit light was on intermittently. He also informed me that this was a prior write-up that had been on deferral for 3 days. I asked him if he knew what they did to fix it. He told me they fixed some wiring in the system the night before. When I went up the jetway he was on the phone with dispatch. He then gave me the phone and I told dispatch I needed to talk to someone in maintenance control. He xferred me over and I read the write-up verbatim to maintenance controller. They gave me an MEL tracking number and included a special procedure to lock out asymmetry circuit breaker on the P-18 panel. I did all this, and dispatched the aircraft with a 2 min delay. Looking back, I should have taken the time to read the MEL myself.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH BOTH WING LEADING EDGE FLAP INDICATION PANELS DEFERRED AS INOP IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

Narrative: UPON ARR OF THE FLT, THE CAPT INDICATED TO ME HE HAD A MAINT PROB. I WENT TO THE COCKPIT WINDOW TO TALK TO HIM. HE TOLD ME THE LEADING EDGE FLAP TRANSIT LIGHT WAS ON AND OVERHEAD FLAP #3 TRANSIT LIGHT WAS ON INTERMITTENTLY. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A PRIOR WRITE-UP THAT HAD BEEN ON DEFERRAL FOR 3 DAYS. I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHAT THEY DID TO FIX IT. HE TOLD ME THEY FIXED SOME WIRING IN THE SYS THE NIGHT BEFORE. WHEN I WENT UP THE JETWAY HE WAS ON THE PHONE WITH DISPATCH. HE THEN GAVE ME THE PHONE AND I TOLD DISPATCH I NEEDED TO TALK TO SOMEONE IN MAINT CTL. HE XFERRED ME OVER AND I READ THE WRITE-UP VERBATIM TO MAINT CTLR. THEY GAVE ME AN MEL TRACKING NUMBER AND INCLUDED A SPECIAL PROC TO LOCK OUT ASYMMETRY CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE P-18 PANEL. I DID ALL THIS, AND DISPATCHED THE ACFT WITH A 2 MIN DELAY. LOOKING BACK, I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO READ THE MEL MYSELF.

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.