Narrative:

I scanned the maintenance log book and found many write ups including a few placards. Among these was a continuing write up on the left engine driven generator dating back to 2/thur/89. This generator was written up as failed and 'fixed' several times during the past week, so as I glanced at the last complaint and the fix, the fix didn't register. I had already been to operations and obtained my dispatch release flight plan which had the generator listed as inoperative. So I was prepared to fly with a gen inoperative per MEL as per the dispatch release that I had signed. During the start of the left engine both myself and my copilot noticed that the gen did not come up to speed and come on the line. Right engine started normally. After both engines were started, we evaluated what equipment we had to work with and again consulted the MEL book. Now we had a left gen that didn't work but that is what the dispatch release said and all the necessary MEL items had been taken care of, ie, extra fuel for APU burn, APU oil checked, APU operating, WX was day VFR and good along route. So now all was go for a nice trip with gen inoperative per MEL--except somebody had taken the placard out of the log book. I had full knowledge that I had departed phl with an inoperative gen. The dispatch release said so as well as the completion of all the MEL items to make the trip legal with the inoperative gen. The only thing wrong is that phl maintenance had removed the placard from the log book west/O fixing the gen. At about 20 mins prior to departure from dfw I requested that maintenance check the APU oil as per the MEL for the inoperative gen only to be told that the gen had been fixed. It then dawned upon me that phl maintenance had signed off the gen as fixed and removed the placard. I had inadvertently flown an aircraft out of phl with an inoperative gen west/O benefit of the necessary placard. If either the gen had been fixed or the placard had remained in the log book, this report would be unnecessary. Supplemental information from acn 105500: flight crew placarding in this instance is not permitted. We should have returned to the gate for maintenance action. Confusion originated with dispatch releasing aircraft as single gen. It was not considered abnormal because the flight plan called for single gen maintenance's write off of the item was overlooked at the early hour. Lesson learned: air carrier should provide first officer's with MEL's as well as captain. I should have read the MEL rather than trust the captain with it. If air carrier and FAA provide me with an MEL, I will read it!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB FLOWN WITH IMPROPER MAINT SIGN OFF AND WITHOUT REQUIRED MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST PLACARD.

Narrative: I SCANNED THE MAINT LOG BOOK AND FOUND MANY WRITE UPS INCLUDING A FEW PLACARDS. AMONG THESE WAS A CONTINUING WRITE UP ON THE LEFT ENG DRIVEN GENERATOR DATING BACK TO 2/THUR/89. THIS GENERATOR WAS WRITTEN UP AS FAILED AND 'FIXED' SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE PAST WK, SO AS I GLANCED AT THE LAST COMPLAINT AND THE FIX, THE FIX DIDN'T REGISTER. I HAD ALREADY BEEN TO OPS AND OBTAINED MY DISPATCH RELEASE FLT PLAN WHICH HAD THE GENERATOR LISTED AS INOP. SO I WAS PREPARED TO FLY WITH A GEN INOP PER MEL AS PER THE DISPATCH RELEASE THAT I HAD SIGNED. DURING THE START OF THE LEFT ENG BOTH MYSELF AND MY COPLT NOTICED THAT THE GEN DID NOT COME UP TO SPD AND COME ON THE LINE. RIGHT ENG STARTED NORMALLY. AFTER BOTH ENGS WERE STARTED, WE EVALUATED WHAT EQUIP WE HAD TO WORK WITH AND AGAIN CONSULTED THE MEL BOOK. NOW WE HAD A LEFT GEN THAT DIDN'T WORK BUT THAT IS WHAT THE DISPATCH RELEASE SAID AND ALL THE NECESSARY MEL ITEMS HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, IE, EXTRA FUEL FOR APU BURN, APU OIL CHKED, APU OPERATING, WX WAS DAY VFR AND GOOD ALONG ROUTE. SO NOW ALL WAS GO FOR A NICE TRIP WITH GEN INOP PER MEL--EXCEPT SOMEBODY HAD TAKEN THE PLACARD OUT OF THE LOG BOOK. I HAD FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT I HAD DEPARTED PHL WITH AN INOP GEN. THE DISPATCH RELEASE SAID SO AS WELL AS THE COMPLETION OF ALL THE MEL ITEMS TO MAKE THE TRIP LEGAL WITH THE INOP GEN. THE ONLY THING WRONG IS THAT PHL MAINT HAD REMOVED THE PLACARD FROM THE LOG BOOK W/O FIXING THE GEN. AT ABOUT 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP FROM DFW I REQUESTED THAT MAINT CHK THE APU OIL AS PER THE MEL FOR THE INOP GEN ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE GEN HAD BEEN FIXED. IT THEN DAWNED UPON ME THAT PHL MAINT HAD SIGNED OFF THE GEN AS FIXED AND REMOVED THE PLACARD. I HAD INADVERTENTLY FLOWN AN ACFT OUT OF PHL WITH AN INOP GEN W/O BENEFIT OF THE NECESSARY PLACARD. IF EITHER THE GEN HAD BEEN FIXED OR THE PLACARD HAD REMAINED IN THE LOG BOOK, THIS RPT WOULD BE UNNECESSARY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 105500: FLT CREW PLACARDING IN THIS INSTANCE IS NOT PERMITTED. WE SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR MAINT ACTION. CONFUSION ORIGINATED WITH DISPATCH RELEASING ACFT AS SINGLE GEN. IT WAS NOT CONSIDERED ABNORMAL BECAUSE THE FLT PLAN CALLED FOR SINGLE GEN MAINT'S WRITE OFF OF THE ITEM WAS OVERLOOKED AT THE EARLY HOUR. LESSON LEARNED: ACR SHOULD PROVIDE F/O'S WITH MEL'S AS WELL AS CAPT. I SHOULD HAVE READ THE MEL RATHER THAN TRUST THE CAPT WITH IT. IF ACR AND FAA PROVIDE ME WITH AN MEL, I WILL READ IT!

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.