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A B767 technician believes the deferral of the #1 radio altimeter as inoperative should not be allowed. The adjacent note in the MEL states 'gear not down' EICAS warning will not be operative.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 720381 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200612 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| ASRS Report | 720381 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | maintenance : inspector |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : engineering procedure contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : logbook entry |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Chart Or Publication |
| Primary Problem | Chart Or Publication |
| Situations | |
| Publication | MEL |
Narrative:
B767 MEL left radio altimeter system should be deleted and not allowed. The reason is per note in the MEL; the 'gear not down' EICAS warning will not be operative as per maintenance manual. The note does not authority/authorized the landing confign warning system to be inoperative; reference MEL general section. 'Notes are not a part of the proviso.' talked to FAA inspector who said she agreed and would take care of this; but never did. Talked with maintenance and equipment MEL coordinator who said there is nothing wrong. Also told him B757 has the same issue. B767 MEL needs to be deleted and not allowed due to 'gear not down' warning will be activated erroneously or not at all if left radio altimeter is inoperative resulting in possible loss of life and aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B767 TECHNICIAN BELIEVES THE DEFERRAL OF THE #1 RADIO ALTIMETER AS INOP SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. THE ADJACENT NOTE IN THE MEL STATES 'GEAR NOT DOWN' EICAS WARNING WILL NOT BE OPERATIVE.
Narrative: B767 MEL L RADIO ALTIMETER SYS SHOULD BE DELETED AND NOT ALLOWED. THE REASON IS PER NOTE IN THE MEL; THE 'GEAR NOT DOWN' EICAS WARNING WILL NOT BE OPERATIVE AS PER MAINT MANUAL. THE NOTE DOES NOT AUTH THE LNDG CONFIGN WARNING SYS TO BE INOP; REF MEL GENERAL SECTION. 'NOTES ARE NOT A PART OF THE PROVISO.' TALKED TO FAA INSPECTOR WHO SAID SHE AGREED AND WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS; BUT NEVER DID. TALKED WITH MAINT AND EQUIP MEL COORDINATOR WHO SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. ALSO TOLD HIM B757 HAS THE SAME ISSUE. B767 MEL NEEDS TO BE DELETED AND NOT ALLOWED DUE TO 'GEAR NOT DOWN' WARNING WILL BE ACTIVATED ERRONEOUSLY OR NOT AT ALL IF L RADIO ALTIMETER IS INOP RESULTING IN POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE AND ACFT.
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.