B737-300 captain is disappointed in air carrier's willingness to ignore MEL restrictions regarding dispatch of aircraft with inoperative yaw damper.

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Attributes
ACN	665682
Time
Date	200507
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	665682
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain other personnel other oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

During preflight; aircraft papers indicated yaw damper inoperative. On the MEL card there were specific restrictions as conditions for flight. No turbulence greater than light and no gusty winds for approach and landing. The field conditions were moderate rain with heavy showers and gusty winds in the area and all runways very wet. There was a line of thunderstorms with several NWS advisories between ord and day with the line heading toward day. This aircraft should never have even been planned on this route and should not have even been planned to leave the ord area. The inbound captain advised us with the current field conditions the aircraft was 'squirrelly' on approach. I have never been so disappointed in the lack of regard for safety at air carrier as this incident demonstrated. Maintenance; dispatch; and management should be held accountable for violating the flight requirements of an FAA approved MEL card. If there is not satisfactory action taken; I will send a full written and verbal report to our FAA poi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CAPT IS DISAPPOINTED IN ACR'S WILLINGNESS TO IGNORE MEL RESTRICTIONS REGARDING DISPATCH OF ACFT WITH INOP YAW DAMPER.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT; ACFT PAPERS INDICATED YAW DAMPER INOP. ON THE MEL CARD THERE WERE SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS AS CONDITIONS FOR FLT. NO TURB GREATER THAN LIGHT AND NO GUSTY WINDS FOR APCH AND LNDG. THE FIELD CONDITIONS WERE MODERATE RAIN WITH HVY SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS IN THE AREA AND ALL RWYS VERY WET. THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS WITH SEVERAL NWS ADVISORIES BETWEEN ORD AND DAY WITH THE LINE HEADING TOWARD DAY. THIS ACFT SHOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN BEEN PLANNED ON THIS RTE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN PLANNED TO LEAVE THE ORD AREA. THE INBOUND CAPT ADVISED US WITH THE CURRENT FIELD CONDITIONS THE ACFT WAS 'SQUIRRELLY' ON APCH. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISAPPOINTED IN THE LACK OF REGARD FOR SAFETY AT ACR AS THIS INCIDENT DEMONSTRATED. MAINT; DISPATCH; AND MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR VIOLATING THE FLT REQUIREMENTS OF AN FAA APPROVED MEL CARD. IF THERE IS NOT SATISFACTORY ACTION TAKEN; I WILL SEND A FULL WRITTEN AND VERBAL RPT TO OUR FAA POI.

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.