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An EMB135 was dispatched with the first officer's steering disengage switch deferred in conflict with the MEL.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 703843 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200606 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lga.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 135 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time type : 4500 |
| ASRS Report | 703843 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time type : 4050 |
| ASRS Report | 703844 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other Other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : manuals 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 | Chart Or Publication |
| Situations | |
| Publication | MEL |
Narrative:
The first officer and I discovered that the plastic cover on the first officer's steering disengage button had popped off while at the gate in ZZZ. Maintenance replaced the entire switch but we found that the new switch was not working properly. Maintenance tried to fix the switch but was unsuccessful. Maintenance then decided to defer the first officer's steering disconnect under MEL. I read the MEL and noticed the wording within the deferral was inconsistent but continued with maintenance's approval and signoff. We departed and completed the flight normally. Safety is paramount and was not jeopardized in the least. In the days that followed I became aware that maintenance believed that this MEL and course of action was inappropriate given the situation. I was told that the intent of the MEL is to defer only the captain's steering disengage button. I believe the MEL is ambiguous and misleading at best concerning this situation. Most of the time; the MEL is specific in what can and can't be deferred. The item description for this reads; 'control wheel steering disengage buttons' (plural); not 'captain's control wheel steering disengage button' as is the intent. Furthermore; the wording in the remarks and flight crew operating procedures sections refer to 'pilot' and 'copilot' instead of 'captain' and 'first officer' or 'PF' and 'PNF.' ZZZ1's revised abnormal checklist 'uncommanded swerving on ground' directs the use of the steering disengagement button. I believe it would be best to have the 'PF' complete this section. In order to prevent this confusion in the future; I think the MEL should be more specific in which steering disengage button is deferrable and the appropriate actions to be taken; ie; who is going to be PF or PNF.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMB135 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE FO'S STEERING DISENGAGE SWITCH DEFERRED IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.
Narrative: THE FO AND I DISCOVERED THAT THE PLASTIC COVER ON THE FO'S STEERING DISENGAGE BUTTON HAD POPPED OFF WHILE AT THE GATE IN ZZZ. MAINT REPLACED THE ENTIRE SWITCH BUT WE FOUND THAT THE NEW SWITCH WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. MAINT TRIED TO FIX THE SWITCH BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. MAINT THEN DECIDED TO DEFER THE FO'S STEERING DISCONNECT UNDER MEL. I READ THE MEL AND NOTICED THE WORDING WITHIN THE DEFERRAL WAS INCONSISTENT BUT CONTINUED WITH MAINT'S APPROVAL AND SIGNOFF. WE DEPARTED AND COMPLETED THE FLT NORMALLY. SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT AND WAS NOT JEOPARDIZED IN THE LEAST. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED I BECAME AWARE THAT MAINT BELIEVED THAT THIS MEL AND COURSE OF ACTION WAS INAPPROPRIATE GIVEN THE SITUATION. I WAS TOLD THAT THE INTENT OF THE MEL IS TO DEFER ONLY THE CAPT'S STEERING DISENGAGE BUTTON. I BELIEVE THE MEL IS AMBIGUOUS AND MISLEADING AT BEST CONCERNING THIS SITUATION. MOST OF THE TIME; THE MEL IS SPECIFIC IN WHAT CAN AND CAN'T BE DEFERRED. THE ITEM DESCRIPTION FOR THIS READS; 'CTL WHEEL STEERING DISENGAGE BUTTONS' (PLURAL); NOT 'CAPT'S CTL WHEEL STEERING DISENGAGE BUTTON' AS IS THE INTENT. FURTHERMORE; THE WORDING IN THE REMARKS AND FLT CREW OPERATING PROCS SECTIONS REFER TO 'PLT' AND 'COPLT' INSTEAD OF 'CAPT' AND 'FO' OR 'PF' AND 'PNF.' ZZZ1'S REVISED ABNORMAL CHKLIST 'UNCOMMANDED SWERVING ON GND' DIRECTS THE USE OF THE STEERING DISENGAGEMENT BUTTON. I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE BEST TO HAVE THE 'PF' COMPLETE THIS SECTION. IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS CONFUSION IN THE FUTURE; I THINK THE MEL SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC IN WHICH STEERING DISENGAGE BUTTON IS DEFERRABLE AND THE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN; IE; WHO IS GOING TO BE PF OR PNF.
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.