Narrative:

Upon arrival at the aircraft an inspection of the aircraft documents revealed that the flap indicator had been deferred on 3/thur/89. This was brought to the attention of dispatch and the boarding was stopped. (No passenger at this point.) at this point the director of operations was brought into the picture to assist in the decision. A memo was produced from the 1988 must read file which cleared the aircraft for one overnight. Upon further investigation it was found that the write up was 2 days old and again I called dispatch. The dispatcher handed the situation to our chief pilot and I received a call on company radio stating the matter had been cleared and that I should proceed to casper. The boarding process was completed and we left the gate. Upon arrival at casper, I placed a call to den and found that the maintenance director could not release the aircraft and the note on viii of MEL stated that 'in no case will the item be deferred beyond the next overnight stop.' thus, my original reluctance was right. Three management and 2 dispatchers were involved in the decision. In the future I will take an even stronger position in these matters.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE REPORTER AND VARIOUS COMPANY PERSONNEL IT WAS ERRONEOUSLY DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT COULD BE DISPATCHED LEGALLY WITH THE INOPERATIVE EQUIPMENT. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED WITH AN ILLEGAL DEFERRED ITEM.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT THE ACFT AN INSPECTION OF THE ACFT DOCUMENTS REVEALED THAT THE FLAP INDICATOR HAD BEEN DEFERRED ON 3/THUR/89. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF DISPATCH AND THE BOARDING WAS STOPPED. (NO PAX AT THIS POINT.) AT THIS POINT THE DIRECTOR OF OPS WAS BROUGHT INTO THE PICTURE TO ASSIST IN THE DECISION. A MEMO WAS PRODUCED FROM THE 1988 MUST READ FILE WHICH CLRED THE ACFT FOR ONE OVERNIGHT. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WRITE UP WAS 2 DAYS OLD AND AGAIN I CALLED DISPATCH. THE DISPATCHER HANDED THE SITUATION TO OUR CHIEF PLT AND I RECEIVED A CALL ON COMPANY RADIO STATING THE MATTER HAD BEEN CLRED AND THAT I SHOULD PROCEED TO CASPER. THE BOARDING PROCESS WAS COMPLETED AND WE LEFT THE GATE. UPON ARR AT CASPER, I PLACED A CALL TO DEN AND FOUND THAT THE MAINT DIRECTOR COULD NOT RELEASE THE ACFT AND THE NOTE ON VIII OF MEL STATED THAT 'IN NO CASE WILL THE ITEM BE DEFERRED BEYOND THE NEXT OVERNIGHT STOP.' THUS, MY ORIGINAL RELUCTANCE WAS RIGHT. THREE MGMNT AND 2 DISPATCHERS WERE INVOLVED IN THE DECISION. IN THE FUTURE I WILL TAKE AN EVEN STRONGER POS IN THESE MATTERS.

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.