Narrative:

Scheduled to fly heavy transport cargo flight from egpk-kjfk. Inbound crew scraped #4 engine on landing. Company flew spare engine, mechanics and tooling to egpk on next company widebody transport from jfk to accomplish engine change due to damage to engine cowling and N2 gearbox. When captain, second officer and I arrived at egpk operations for scheduled departure, we were informed that the company had removed the flight recorder and cvr and returned these units to jfk west/O replacing them with spare units. Although the captain obtained word from operations control stating that 'removal of cvr and flight data recorder by company render these systems inoperative...,' I am submitting this report in case of company misinterp of the MEL. Upon MEL review, I could find no reference to removal of a system or required item of equipment which would render the system inoperative. I did not interpret NTSB 830.5 as cause for removal of these units. Furthermore, far 121.343 and 121.359 require the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder to be onboard and operating on 'a large turbine engine pwred airplane.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SO QUESTIONS AUTHORITY CLRNC TO OPERATE HVT WITH CVR AND FLT DATA RECORDER REMOVED.

Narrative: SCHEDULED TO FLY HVT CARGO FLT FROM EGPK-KJFK. INBND CREW SCRAPED #4 ENG ON LNDG. COMPANY FLEW SPARE ENG, MECHS AND TOOLING TO EGPK ON NEXT COMPANY WDB FROM JFK TO ACCOMPLISH ENG CHANGE DUE TO DAMAGE TO ENG COWLING AND N2 GEARBOX. WHEN CAPT, S/O AND I ARRIVED AT EGPK OPS FOR SCHEDULED DEP, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE COMPANY HAD REMOVED THE FLT RECORDER AND CVR AND RETURNED THESE UNITS TO JFK W/O REPLACING THEM WITH SPARE UNITS. ALTHOUGH THE CAPT OBTAINED WORD FROM OPS CTL STATING THAT 'REMOVAL OF CVR AND FLT DATA RECORDER BY COMPANY RENDER THESE SYSTEMS INOP...,' I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT IN CASE OF COMPANY MISINTERP OF THE MEL. UPON MEL REVIEW, I COULD FIND NO REF TO REMOVAL OF A SYS OR REQUIRED ITEM OF EQUIP WHICH WOULD RENDER THE SYS INOP. I DID NOT INTERPRET NTSB 830.5 AS CAUSE FOR REMOVAL OF THESE UNITS. FURTHERMORE, FAR 121.343 AND 121.359 REQUIRE THE FLT DATA RECORDER AND COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER TO BE ONBOARD AND OPERATING ON 'A LARGE TURBINE ENG PWRED AIRPLANE.'

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.