Narrative:

On said flight I was given an aircraft with just about everything you could have wrong with it -- broken brakes; antiskid; wing spoilers; high loads; special airport; mountains; special engine out procedures; etc; etc. It is my belief that this was an extremely marginal dispatch; and only by my 10000 hours of experience did I feel that it could be done. It was an exercise in MEL twisting; and I am absolutely confident that if this is the way this company is going to play the game we will soon be on 'cnn;' and not in a good way. I also believe the company is saving money at the extreme cost of safety; especially in this case. We've taken just about every facet of what we once had as a safety net and reduced it to saving 50 cents where we can. I am absolutely sure given one more ingredient in this toxic soup that was handed to me that disaster is right around the corner; ie; a captain/first officer that has only seen a video a month ago only without the expertise of an experienced check airman. You take this guy with an engine failure in any phase of takeoff and you would have....I mean 'would have' ended up with a disastrous outcome. I'm a firm believer that after 20 years with a 100 percent safety factor that you have squeezed every facet of flight operations into an extremely marginal operation begging a tv covered event! This is not how I approach my job; and I don't appreciate it from my company; but at least with the fuel they gave me I had to declare minimum fuel on arrival in mia and dispatch had to request help from mia ATC. This was also discussed with dispatch prior to my departure. It's almost like a contest to see how far we can spread this company thin; and when an accident happens; we'll start reintroducing the safety elements we once had. Congratulations to all who got us to this point.supplemental information from 723251: flight was to be operated with the #7 brake; green antiskid and spoilers 1 and 4 inoperative. The mels for these items refer to each other and is poorly worded. 'Spoiler control system' in MEL 32-06 is not defined in the OM. With antiskid inoperative -- ground spoilers must be operative. How many panels? Too many questions arise. I believe we were legal to depart; but an argument may be made for being illegal.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THEIR ASSIGNMENT TO AN ACFT WITH MULTIPLE DEFERRED ITEMS AND INADEQUATE PLANNED FUEL FOR THEIR FLT FROM A MOUNTAINOUS CENTRAL AMERICAN ARPT TRIGGERS A TIRADE AGAINST THEIR COMPANY'S COST CUTTING MEASURES FROM AN A300 FLT CREW.

Narrative: ON SAID FLT I WAS GIVEN AN ACFT WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU COULD HAVE WRONG WITH IT -- BROKEN BRAKES; ANTISKID; WING SPOILERS; HIGH LOADS; SPECIAL ARPT; MOUNTAINS; SPECIAL ENG OUT PROCS; ETC; ETC. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY MARGINAL DISPATCH; AND ONLY BY MY 10000 HOURS OF EXPERIENCE DID I FEEL THAT IT COULD BE DONE. IT WAS AN EXERCISE IN MEL TWISTING; AND I AM ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THAT IF THIS IS THE WAY THIS COMPANY IS GOING TO PLAY THE GAME WE WILL SOON BE ON 'CNN;' AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY. I ALSO BELIEVE THE COMPANY IS SAVING MONEY AT THE EXTREME COST OF SAFETY; ESPECIALLY IN THIS CASE. WE'VE TAKEN JUST ABOUT EVERY FACET OF WHAT WE ONCE HAD AS A SAFETY NET AND REDUCED IT TO SAVING 50 CENTS WHERE WE CAN. I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE GIVEN ONE MORE INGREDIENT IN THIS TOXIC SOUP THAT WAS HANDED TO ME THAT DISASTER IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER; IE; A CAPT/FO THAT HAS ONLY SEEN A VIDEO A MONTH AGO ONLY WITHOUT THE EXPERTISE OF AN EXPERIENCED CHK AIRMAN. YOU TAKE THIS GUY WITH AN ENG FAILURE IN ANY PHASE OF TKOF AND YOU WOULD HAVE....I MEAN 'WOULD HAVE' ENDED UP WITH A DISASTROUS OUTCOME. I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT AFTER 20 YEARS WITH A 100 PERCENT SAFETY FACTOR THAT YOU HAVE SQUEEZED EVERY FACET OF FLT OPS INTO AN EXTREMELY MARGINAL OPERATION BEGGING A TV COVERED EVENT! THIS IS NOT HOW I APPROACH MY JOB; AND I DON'T APPRECIATE IT FROM MY COMPANY; BUT AT LEAST WITH THE FUEL THEY GAVE ME I HAD TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL ON ARR IN MIA AND DISPATCH HAD TO REQUEST HELP FROM MIA ATC. THIS WAS ALSO DISCUSSED WITH DISPATCH PRIOR TO MY DEP. IT'S ALMOST LIKE A CONTEST TO SEE HOW FAR WE CAN SPREAD THIS COMPANY THIN; AND WHEN AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS; WE'LL START REINTRODUCING THE SAFETY ELEMENTS WE ONCE HAD. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO GOT US TO THIS POINT.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM 723251: FLT WAS TO BE OPERATED WITH THE #7 BRAKE; GREEN ANTISKID AND SPOILERS 1 AND 4 INOP. THE MELS FOR THESE ITEMS REFER TO EACH OTHER AND IS POORLY WORDED. 'SPOILER CONTROL SYSTEM' IN MEL 32-06 IS NOT DEFINED IN THE OM. WITH ANTISKID INOP -- GND SPOILERS MUST BE OPERATIVE. HOW MANY PANELS? TOO MANY QUESTIONS ARISE. I BELIEVE WE WERE LEGAL TO DEPART; BUT AN ARGUMENT MAY BE MADE FOR BEING ILLEGAL.

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.