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Air carrier large transport not equipped with strob lights flew illegal night flight with one beacon inoperative.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 96599 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198810 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dfw airport : zfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 600 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw tower : dfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff cruise other ground : preflight |
| Route In Use | departure other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 96599 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 97029 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Aircraft was flown with lower rotating beacon placarded inoperative. Flight took place at night. MEL states that aircraft must have wingtip and tail strobes installed to operate at night with one beacon inoperative. The crew discovered the discrepancy after getting airborne. Aircraft was not flown subsequently, except during daylight hours, until rotating was repaired. Recommend that crews double-check all deferred maintenance items with MEL. Dispatchers also need to double-check dmi's prior to issuing a dispatch release. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Ascertained this aircraft one of the first large transport produced and did not have strobe lights installed. PIC had flown with other carrier previously and all their aircraft had strobe lights so was conditioned to that confign. Their other aircraft have the strobes.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR LGT NOT EQUIPPED WITH STROB LIGHTS FLEW ILLEGAL NIGHT FLT WITH ONE BEACON INOPERATIVE.
Narrative: ACFT WAS FLOWN WITH LOWER ROTATING BEACON PLACARDED INOP. FLT TOOK PLACE AT NIGHT. MEL STATES THAT ACFT MUST HAVE WINGTIP AND TAIL STROBES INSTALLED TO OPERATE AT NIGHT WITH ONE BEACON INOP. THE CREW DISCOVERED THE DISCREPANCY AFTER GETTING AIRBORNE. ACFT WAS NOT FLOWN SUBSEQUENTLY, EXCEPT DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, UNTIL ROTATING WAS REPAIRED. RECOMMEND THAT CREWS DOUBLE-CHK ALL DEFERRED MAINT ITEMS WITH MEL. DISPATCHERS ALSO NEED TO DOUBLE-CHK DMI'S PRIOR TO ISSUING A DISPATCH RELEASE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. ASCERTAINED THIS ACFT ONE OF THE FIRST LGT PRODUCED AND DID NOT HAVE STROBE LIGHTS INSTALLED. PIC HAD FLOWN WITH OTHER CARRIER PREVIOUSLY AND ALL THEIR ACFT HAD STROBE LIGHTS SO WAS CONDITIONED TO THAT CONFIGN. THEIR OTHER ACFT HAVE THE STROBES.
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.