A maintenance controller reports he inadvertently deferred an engine oil temperature indication on a...

Attributes
ACN	951427
Time
Date	201105
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Parked
Component
Aircraft Component	Oil Indicating System
Person 1
Function	Lead Technician
Qualification	Maintenance Airframe Maintenance Powerplant
Experience	Maintenance Technician 39
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Procedural FAR

Narrative:

Mechanic called explaining the oil temperature indicator was pegged-out in flight. Then after landing; during taxi-in; [temperature indicator] went back to normal. For reasons I cannot fully understand I incorrectly thought of fuel temperature. We have a large number of fuel temperature indication problems [on md-80 aircraft] and I jumped on the first thing that came to mind apparently. I do recall the mechanic mentioning oil temperature however. The fault was not in his reporting; rather in my interpreting. I have full knowledge of how both systems work. I know that oil temp is a must have for [aircraft] dispatch with no relief otherwise.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Maintenance Controller reports he inadvertently deferred an engine oil temperature indication on an MD-80 aircraft thinking fuel temp gauge. Neither the Line Mechanic nor the outbound flight crew caught the improper MEL deferral. Oil temperature gauges are a no-go item; they are not deferrable.

Narrative: Mechanic called explaining the OIL TEMP indicator was pegged-out in flight. Then after landing; during taxi-in; [temperature indicator] went back to normal. For reasons I cannot fully understand I incorrectly thought of FUEL TEMP. We have a large number of fuel temperature indication problems [on MD-80 aircraft] and I jumped on the first thing that came to mind apparently. I do recall the mechanic mentioning OIL TEMP however. The fault was not in his reporting; rather in my interpreting. I have full knowledge of how both systems work. I know that oil temp is a must have for [aircraft] dispatch with no relief otherwise.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

A maintenance controller reports he inadvertently deferred an engine oil temperature indication on an md-80 aircraft thinking fuel temp gauge. Neither the line mechanic nor the outbound flight crew caught the improper MEL deferral. Oil temperature gauges are a no-go item; they are not deferrable.