Narrative:

Morning departure from msp. Logbook not immediately available as flight arrived from anc. I did my preflight and saw orange MEL sticker and thought I better check on that. Then in confusion I didn't check as no required MEL items were on release. We departed and en route I took out manual to check what if any importance the left IRU being inoperative might be. I had a sinking feeling it was a required release item at this point. (Which also meant it should have a black box around the sticker to call attention to items needed on the dispatch release.) I notified dispatch, he said maintenance entered MEL item wrong into the computer and it was all corrected now. I was a little tired yet in the morning. We were disrupted by the confusion and hustle bustle. The sticker was the wrong one. The MEL wasn't entered correctly. Any one of the above 4 items could have averted an illegal release.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ILLEGALLY DISPATCHED BECAUSE MECHANIC MADE WRONG MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST ENTRY IN COMPUTER.

Narrative: MORNING DEP FROM MSP. LOGBOOK NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE AS FLT ARRIVED FROM ANC. I DID MY PREFLT AND SAW ORANGE MEL STICKER AND THOUGHT I BETTER CHK ON THAT. THEN IN CONFUSION I DIDN'T CHK AS NO REQUIRED MEL ITEMS WERE ON RELEASE. WE DEPARTED AND ENRTE I TOOK OUT MANUAL TO CHK WHAT IF ANY IMPORTANCE THE LEFT IRU BEING INOP MIGHT BE. I HAD A SINKING FEELING IT WAS A REQUIRED RELEASE ITEM AT THIS POINT. (WHICH ALSO MEANT IT SHOULD HAVE A BLACK BOX AROUND THE STICKER TO CALL ATTN TO ITEMS NEEDED ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE.) I NOTIFIED DISPATCH, HE SAID MAINT ENTERED MEL ITEM WRONG INTO THE COMPUTER AND IT WAS ALL CORRECTED NOW. I WAS A LITTLE TIRED YET IN THE MORNING. WE WERE DISRUPTED BY THE CONFUSION AND HUSTLE BUSTLE. THE STICKER WAS THE WRONG ONE. THE MEL WASN'T ENTERED CORRECTLY. ANY ONE OF THE ABOVE 4 ITEMS COULD HAVE AVERTED AN ILLEGAL RELEASE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.