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A B737-700 crew accepting an aircraft with a pressurization MEL questions the MEL's inadequate flight crew operating procedure description and its legality.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 704532 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200607 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | other |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time type : 10000 |
| ASRS Report | 704532 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Company |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
Inbound crew wrote up pressurization problems on descent. Air carrier X had MEL. That MEL has no crew or maintenance directives except to verify outflow valve works in manual. Maintenance pulled a circuit breaker saying that they were allowed to do so because it was allowed in the pre-amble. I discussed this issue with the flight duty officer as I was concerned with this maintenance issue as well as the legalities of this MEL. We flew the aircraft and had the same problem with the pressurization system. The MEL needs better guidance. It does not state how to run the press system; ie; automatic; or altitude; or man on the press control knob. There is no maintenance action for this MEL but there is for other mels.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-700 CREW ACCEPTING AN ACFT WITH A PRESSURIZATION MEL QUESTIONS THE MEL'S INADEQUATE FLT CREW OPERATING PROC DESCRIPTION AND ITS LEGALITY.
Narrative: INBOUND CREW WROTE UP PRESSURIZATION PROBS ON DSCNT. ACR X HAD MEL. THAT MEL HAS NO CREW OR MAINT DIRECTIVES EXCEPT TO VERIFY OUTFLOW VALVE WORKS IN MANUAL. MAINT PULLED A CIRCUIT BREAKER SAYING THAT THEY WERE ALLOWED TO DO SO BECAUSE IT WAS ALLOWED IN THE PRE-AMBLE. I DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH THE FLT DUTY OFFICER AS I WAS CONCERNED WITH THIS MAINT ISSUE AS WELL AS THE LEGALITIES OF THIS MEL. WE FLEW THE ACFT AND HAD THE SAME PROB WITH THE PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM. THE MEL NEEDS BETTER GUIDANCE. IT DOES NOT STATE HOW TO RUN THE PRESS SYSTEM; IE; AUTO; OR ALT; OR MAN ON THE PRESS CTL KNOB. THERE IS NO MAINT ACTION FOR THIS MEL BUT THERE IS FOR OTHER MELS.
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.