A dispatcher reported that an MEL had not been properly handled, causing the flight to be canceled.

Attributes
ACN	605776
Time
Date	200401
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	605776
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Received a call just before departure from the captain advising me about an MEL already applied to the aircraft. There were no MEL's showing deferred in the record for the aircraft so I called maintenance to find out about the MEL. Maintenance had not called me to defer it. They advised me that it had been entered incorrectly, which is why I never saw it. The placard number they were referring to was a non icing MEL and it would be unable to depart. The maintenance issue was unable to be fixed prior to departure so flight was consequently canceled.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER RPTED THAT AN MEL HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY HANDLED, CAUSING THE FLT TO BE CANCELED.

Narrative: RECEIVED A CALL JUST BEFORE DEP FROM THE CAPT ADVISING ME ABOUT AN MEL ALREADY APPLIED TO THE ACFT. THERE WERE NO MEL'S SHOWING DEFERRED IN THE RECORD FOR THE ACFT SO I CALLED MAINT TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE MEL. MAINT HAD NOT CALLED ME TO DEFER IT. THEY ADVISED ME THAT IT HAD BEEN ENTERED INCORRECTLY, WHICH IS WHY I NEVER SAW IT. THE PLACARD NUMBER THEY WERE REFERRING TO WAS A NON ICING MEL AND IT WOULD BE UNABLE TO DEPART. THE MAINT ISSUE WAS UNABLE TO BE FIXED PRIOR TO DEP SO FLT WAS CONSEQUENTLY CANCELED.

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.