A B757-200 was dispatched with an open deferred item cleared inadvertently.

Attributes
ACN	664077
Time
Date	200506
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : lead technician oversight : supervisor
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance lead technician : 20
ASRS Report	664077
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel qty indicator other other : 1
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Environmental Factor Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

5 mins prior to aircraft's departure; the flight crew called maintenance that the fuel quantity circuit breaker had popped. I sent a mechanic out to troubleshoot the problem. After troubleshooting; he told me that the fuel quantity system needed to be MEL'ed. While the aircraft was being pushed out; we noticed that this was improper and had the aircraft pulled back to the gate so we could correct the problem. The mechanic went out and changed the fuel quantity indicator at the fueling panel and this corrected the problem of the circuit breaker popping and he asked me to sign off the deferral that I had made against it. Instead of signing it off; I accidentally signed off another deferral which had to do with the center tank boost pump which resulted in the aircraft flying with an improper deferral.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN OPEN DEFERRED ITEM CLRED INADVERTENTLY.

Narrative: 5 MINS PRIOR TO ACFT'S DEP; THE FLT CREW CALLED MAINT THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED. I SENT A MECH OUT TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING; HE TOLD ME THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY SYS NEEDED TO BE MEL'ED. WHILE THE ACFT WAS BEING PUSHED OUT; WE NOTICED THAT THIS WAS IMPROPER AND HAD THE ACFT PULLED BACK TO THE GATE SO WE COULD CORRECT THE PROB. THE MECH WENT OUT AND CHANGED THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR AT THE FUELING PANEL AND THIS CORRECTED THE PROB OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPING AND HE ASKED ME TO SIGN OFF THE DEFERRAL THAT I HAD MADE AGAINST IT. INSTEAD OF SIGNING IT OFF; I ACCIDENTALLY SIGNED OFF ANOTHER DEFERRAL WHICH HAD TO DO WITH THE CTR TANK BOOST PUMP WHICH RESULTED IN THE ACFT FLYING WITH AN IMPROPER DEFERRAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.