<< >> NASA ASRS Report 578310, March 2003

An MD80 was dispatched in non compliance with a required MEL deferred item check and logbook signoff not accomplished.

Attributes
ACN	578310
Time
Date	200303
Day	Thu
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : airframe
ASRS Report	578310
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : unqualified personnel performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

On mar/thu/03, in ZZZ, the slat takeoff light was put on per MEL 27-00-37. This MEL requires a check prior to departure with a logbook entry. It would appear that the aircraft made several flight crews without the checks being checked and written up. ZZZ1 maintenance reports the yellow placard was installed, but the repetitive check identifier was not in the maintenance computer. Their question was 'who is responsible to insure that the check is checked and written up. They were informed that per topp 40-40-05, it is the responsibility of the flight crew to insure that the check is checked and written up and the logbook entry is made. Fault came upon the generation of the restr to the maintenance computer of the aircraft. The MEL states repetitive check each flight crew. Normally this would be indicated in the maintenance computer by restringing the item as repetitive check each flight crew. This was omitted by accident, and wasn't caught and corrected until ZZZ1 maintenance reported it mar/fri/03. To prevent recurrence, maintenance should rely less on what is printed on the maintenance computer, and read the actual items. The flight crew needs to actually review the logbook on a per flight crew basis for any repetitive check items, and maintenance control should review each item placed on the maintenance computer for correct coding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A REQUIRED MEL DEFERRED ITEM CHK AND LOGBOOK SIGNOFF NOT ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: ON MAR/THU/03, IN ZZZ, THE SLAT TKOF LIGHT WAS PUT ON PER MEL 27-00-37. THIS MEL REQUIRES A CHK PRIOR TO DEP WITH A LOGBOOK ENTRY. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE ACFT MADE SEVERAL FLT CREWS WITHOUT THE CHKS BEING CHKED AND WRITTEN UP. ZZZ1 MAINT RPTS THE YELLOW PLACARD WAS INSTALLED, BUT THE REPETITIVE CHK IDENTIFIER WAS NOT IN THE MAINT COMPUTER. THEIR QUESTION WAS 'WHO IS RESPONSIBLE TO INSURE THAT THE CHK IS CHKED AND WRITTEN UP. THEY WERE INFORMED THAT PER TOPP 40-40-05, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FLC TO INSURE THAT THE CHK IS CHKED AND WRITTEN UP AND THE LOGBOOK ENTRY IS MADE. FAULT CAME UPON THE GENERATION OF THE RESTR TO THE MAINT COMPUTER OF THE ACFT. THE MEL STATES REPETITIVE CHK EACH FLT CREW. NORMALLY THIS WOULD BE INDICATED IN THE MAINT COMPUTER BY RESTRINGING THE ITEM AS REPETITIVE CHK EACH FLT CREW. THIS WAS OMITTED BY ACCIDENT, AND WASN'T CAUGHT AND CORRECTED UNTIL ZZZ1 MAINT RPTED IT MAR/FRI/03. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE, MAINT SHOULD RELY LESS ON WHAT IS PRINTED ON THE MAINT COMPUTER, AND READ THE ACTUAL ITEMS. THE FLC NEEDS TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THE LOGBOOK ON A PER FLT CREW BASIS FOR ANY REPETITIVE CHK ITEMS, AND MAINT CTL SHOULD REVIEW EACH ITEM PLACED ON THE MAINT COMPUTER FOR CORRECT CODING.

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.