Narrative:

While preparing aircraft for our first flight to ZZZ1, I reviewed the logbook and noticed the 'main battery charger status message' deferred. I reviewed previous pages in the log to determine what had actually happened. There were no messages on EICAS display #1 or EICAS display #2 that indicated anything about this deferral. As I was completing the flow for the acceptance checklist, I noticed that apr switch in the off position. There was no deferral sticker near it or write-up in the book that seemed to be associated with it, so I turned it to the armed position. When I pushed in the power/fuel switch light to start the APU, I noticed the 'APU door inhib/open' message for the door. I called my dispatcher and was connected to maintenance. I told them of the message and they said they would send maintenance. After troubleshooting, the APU door was deferred open and, I believe, a breaker in the aft equipment bay opened. The APU was started, shut down, oil checked, and we were told, good to go. We started the APU, and finished preparing for departure. We completed 4 flts with no indication of any associated problem. Prior to the 5TH flight, the 'main battery off' caution message appeared. Just prior to this message appearing, the first officer noticed the 'apr inoperative' caution message and asked me if I had remembered seeing it before or if it was usually there during normal starting procedures (ie, just APU or external (power on)). I could not say one way or the other. When the 'main battery off' caution message appeared, the first officer reviewed the QRH, then asked to see my MEL. At this time, it was determined that the first write-up of 'APU door inhib/open' was due to the deferral of the main battery charger. The apr switch was in the 'off' position for the same deferral and the 'apr inoperative' and 'main battery' caution messages were also associated with this deferral. I had missed these signs because of not reviewing the MEL/cdl section in the fsm and the operations manual states under MEL/cdl it is the PIC's responsibility to review the MEL/cdl items listed in the maintenance log. I did review the maintenance log, but did not follow up with the fsm MEL section. All load manifests were reviewed to determine if a takeoff was conducted with a weight above that for apr off operations. None were flight's #5 and #6 of the day were conducted with the MEL limitations. No limitations were exceeded. The electrical power services panel was not placarded. The placard was found by EICAS display #2. The directional gyro more heading slew function and both clocks worked. I believe the first call to maintenance and dispatch in the morning for the 'APU door inhib/open' message should have been recognized as an indication of the existing deferral(yet maintenance was called to work on it). I am not sure if the main battery was still connected to the electrical system, but believe it was due to the lack of indications we received until flight. At that time, when the 'main battery off' caution message appeared, I believe it was caused by the battery having low power. This is when the 'apr inoperative' caution message and co-pilot clock failed. All symptoms of the MEL 24-32-02. There were 10 write-ups including mine for this problem. The first was on the may/wed/04. The last on the following monday, the main battery charger was deferred 4 times in these 5 days. MEL 24-32-02 paragraph 2 was used for the first 3 deferrals and MEL 24-32-02 paragraph 1 was used for the last one. When maintenance was called for the 'main battery off' caution, the maintenance controller recognized it was a symptom of the deferral. Nothing, except the deferral, on the flight release indicated apr off operations should be used including the 'mtw limited by' portion. To prevent a recurrence, the PIC should insure the fsm is consulted for all MEL/cdl deferrals. The maintenance controller could help in knowing of the associated equipment failures. To insure a limitation is not exceeded, such as apr off operations, a remark on the dispatch release, and insure the 'mtw limited by' portion is correct.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE MAIN SHIP'S BATTERY CHARGER DEFERRED AS INOP PER THE MEL BUT IMPROPERLY PLACARDED.

Narrative: WHILE PREPARING ACFT FOR OUR FIRST FLT TO ZZZ1, I REVIEWED THE LOGBOOK AND NOTICED THE 'MAIN BATTERY CHARGER STATUS MESSAGE' DEFERRED. I REVIEWED PREVIOUS PAGES IN THE LOG TO DETERMINE WHAT HAD ACTUALLY HAPPENED. THERE WERE NO MESSAGES ON EICAS DISPLAY #1 OR EICAS DISPLAY #2 THAT INDICATED ANYTHING ABOUT THIS DEFERRAL. AS I WAS COMPLETING THE FLOW FOR THE ACCEPTANCE CHKLIST, I NOTICED THAT APR SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION. THERE WAS NO DEFERRAL STICKER NEAR IT OR WRITE-UP IN THE BOOK THAT SEEMED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH IT, SO I TURNED IT TO THE ARMED POS. WHEN I PUSHED IN THE PWR/FUEL SWITCH LIGHT TO START THE APU, I NOTICED THE 'APU DOOR INHIB/OPEN' MESSAGE FOR THE DOOR. I CALLED MY DISPATCHER AND WAS CONNECTED TO MAINT. I TOLD THEM OF THE MESSAGE AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD SEND MAINT. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, THE APU DOOR WAS DEFERRED OPEN AND, I BELIEVE, A BREAKER IN THE AFT EQUIP BAY OPENED. THE APU WAS STARTED, SHUT DOWN, OIL CHKED, AND WE WERE TOLD, GOOD TO GO. WE STARTED THE APU, AND FINISHED PREPARING FOR DEP. WE COMPLETED 4 FLTS WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY ASSOCIATED PROB. PRIOR TO THE 5TH FLT, THE 'MAIN BATTERY OFF' CAUTION MESSAGE APPEARED. JUST PRIOR TO THIS MESSAGE APPEARING, THE FO NOTICED THE 'APR INOP' CAUTION MESSAGE AND ASKED ME IF I HAD REMEMBERED SEEING IT BEFORE OR IF IT WAS USUALLY THERE DURING NORMAL STARTING PROCS (IE, JUST APU OR EXTERNAL (PWR ON)). I COULD NOT SAY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. WHEN THE 'MAIN BATTERY OFF' CAUTION MESSAGE APPEARED, THE FO REVIEWED THE QRH, THEN ASKED TO SEE MY MEL. AT THIS TIME, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FIRST WRITE-UP OF 'APU DOOR INHIB/OPEN' WAS DUE TO THE DEFERRAL OF THE MAIN BATTERY CHARGER. THE APR SWITCH WAS IN THE 'OFF' POS FOR THE SAME DEFERRAL AND THE 'APR INOP' AND 'MAIN BATTERY' CAUTION MESSAGES WERE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DEFERRAL. I HAD MISSED THESE SIGNS BECAUSE OF NOT REVIEWING THE MEL/CDL SECTION IN THE FSM AND THE OPS MANUAL STATES UNDER MEL/CDL IT IS THE PIC'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REVIEW THE MEL/CDL ITEMS LISTED IN THE MAINT LOG. I DID REVIEW THE MAINT LOG, BUT DID NOT FOLLOW UP WITH THE FSM MEL SECTION. ALL LOAD MANIFESTS WERE REVIEWED TO DETERMINE IF A TKOF WAS CONDUCTED WITH A WT ABOVE THAT FOR APR OFF OPS. NONE WERE FLT'S #5 AND #6 OF THE DAY WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE MEL LIMITATIONS. NO LIMITATIONS WERE EXCEEDED. THE ELECTRICAL PWR SVCS PANEL WAS NOT PLACARDED. THE PLACARD WAS FOUND BY EICAS DISPLAY #2. THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO MORE HDG SLEW FUNCTION AND BOTH CLOCKS WORKED. I BELIEVE THE FIRST CALL TO MAINT AND DISPATCH IN THE MORNING FOR THE 'APU DOOR INHIB/OPEN' MESSAGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED AS AN INDICATION OF THE EXISTING DEFERRAL(YET MAINT WAS CALLED TO WORK ON IT). I AM NOT SURE IF THE MAIN BATTERY WAS STILL CONNECTED TO THE ELECTRICAL SYS, BUT BELIEVE IT WAS DUE TO THE LACK OF INDICATIONS WE RECEIVED UNTIL FLT. AT THAT TIME, WHEN THE 'MAIN BATTERY OFF' CAUTION MESSAGE APPEARED, I BELIEVE IT WAS CAUSED BY THE BATTERY HAVING LOW PWR. THIS IS WHEN THE 'APR INOP' CAUTION MESSAGE AND CO-PLT CLOCK FAILED. ALL SYMPTOMS OF THE MEL 24-32-02. THERE WERE 10 WRITE-UPS INCLUDING MINE FOR THIS PROB. THE FIRST WAS ON THE MAY/WED/04. THE LAST ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, THE MAIN BATTERY CHARGER WAS DEFERRED 4 TIMES IN THESE 5 DAYS. MEL 24-32-02 PARAGRAPH 2 WAS USED FOR THE FIRST 3 DEFERRALS AND MEL 24-32-02 PARAGRAPH 1 WAS USED FOR THE LAST ONE. WHEN MAINT WAS CALLED FOR THE 'MAIN BATTERY OFF' CAUTION, THE MAINT CTLR RECOGNIZED IT WAS A SYMPTOM OF THE DEFERRAL. NOTHING, EXCEPT THE DEFERRAL, ON THE FLT RELEASE INDICATED APR OFF OPS SHOULD BE USED INCLUDING THE 'MTW LIMITED BY' PORTION. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, THE PIC SHOULD INSURE THE FSM IS CONSULTED FOR ALL MEL/CDL DEFERRALS. THE MAINT CTLR COULD HELP IN KNOWING OF THE ASSOCIATED EQUIP FAILURES. TO INSURE A LIMITATION IS NOT EXCEEDED, SUCH AS APR OFF OPS, A REMARK ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE, AND INSURE THE 'MTW LIMITED BY' PORTION IS CORRECT.

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.