Narrative:

Bottom line; I misread the MEL. Our maintenance control/mechanic deferred an item that was appropriate for a B737- (6; 7; or 800) but did not apply to the B737-300 that we were flying. The item was 32-14 that deals with the main tires still spinning when the gear is placed in the up position. I accepted the aircraft with a restr of leaving the gear down for 2 mins after takeoff to let the wheels stop spinning before retraction; makes sense to me and I complied; the item also referred to a performance penalty to be supplied by dispatch; they could not find the penalty; I flew the aircraft assuming that if we were to actually lose an engine during this phase of flight that I would bring up the gear and simply let the wheels vibrate in the wheelwell. After the 2 legs that I have flown before discovering the error; I brought this to the attention of maintenance control; they agreed with me and (as far as I know a valve was replaced and the aircraft fixed before further flight). The main reason I am sending this information -- when I fly I receive about 1 inch thick of paper -- I have an hour or so to prepare an aircraft for flight. Suggestion -- we need some way of streamlining information to people in this business that have an hour to prepare an aircraft for flight (pilots; mechanic; etc) and probably not combine multiple types of aircraft in the same manual such as the MEL.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CAPT REPORTS DISCOVERING AFTER THE FACT THAT HE HAS FLOWN AN ACFT WITH AN MEL THAT CAN ONLY BE APPLIED TO THE B737NG.

Narrative: BOTTOM LINE; I MISREAD THE MEL. OUR MAINT CTL/MECH DEFERRED AN ITEM THAT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR A B737- (6; 7; OR 800) BUT DID NOT APPLY TO THE B737-300 THAT WE WERE FLYING. THE ITEM WAS 32-14 THAT DEALS WITH THE MAIN TIRES STILL SPINNING WHEN THE GEAR IS PLACED IN THE UP POS. I ACCEPTED THE ACFT WITH A RESTR OF LEAVING THE GEAR DOWN FOR 2 MINS AFTER TKOF TO LET THE WHEELS STOP SPINNING BEFORE RETRACTION; MAKES SENSE TO ME AND I COMPLIED; THE ITEM ALSO REFERRED TO A PERFORMANCE PENALTY TO BE SUPPLIED BY DISPATCH; THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PENALTY; I FLEW THE ACFT ASSUMING THAT IF WE WERE TO ACTUALLY LOSE AN ENG DURING THIS PHASE OF FLT THAT I WOULD BRING UP THE GEAR AND SIMPLY LET THE WHEELS VIBRATE IN THE WHEELWELL. AFTER THE 2 LEGS THAT I HAVE FLOWN BEFORE DISCOVERING THE ERROR; I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF MAINT CTL; THEY AGREED WITH ME AND (AS FAR AS I KNOW A VALVE WAS REPLACED AND THE ACFT FIXED BEFORE FURTHER FLT). THE MAIN REASON I AM SENDING THIS INFO -- WHEN I FLY I RECEIVE ABOUT 1 INCH THICK OF PAPER -- I HAVE AN HR OR SO TO PREPARE AN ACFT FOR FLT. SUGGESTION -- WE NEED SOME WAY OF STREAMLINING INFO TO PEOPLE IN THIS BUSINESS THAT HAVE AN HR TO PREPARE AN ACFT FOR FLT (PLTS; MECH; ETC) AND PROBABLY NOT COMBINE MULTIPLE TYPES OF ACFT IN THE SAME MANUAL SUCH AS THE MEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.