Air carrier aircraft departs station without inoperative item noted and signed off in log book.

Attributes
ACN	118076
Time
Date	198907
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 14500
ASRS Report	118076
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During pushback we were advised by the F/a that the slide girt bar on 3L and 3R would not engage. Maintenance came to the aircraft on the ramp and cleaned out the area where the girt bar locks in place. The engagement light still did not work, but the girt bar was verified by the mechanics and an xcm captain they were locked in place. F/a's were notified as such. The mechanics departed the aircraft and we were on our way. Upon arrival at our next stop the mechanics verified the lights did not work and the engagement lights were put on a maintenance order. Again F/a's were briefed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that the issue of placing the item in the log book at the point of departure did not occur to them as the MEL stated that the lights were not required to be operating so long as a physical check was made of the slide girt insertion and the F/a's (cabin) were briefed and had also inspected the doors. The point of the lights not working was thought of later on and that the system must be noted as inoperative and placed on a maintenance order through a log book entry and sign off. This was done at the next stop.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ACFT DEPARTS STATION WITHOUT INOPERATIVE ITEM NOTED AND SIGNED OFF IN LOG BOOK.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK WE WERE ADVISED BY THE F/A THAT THE SLIDE GIRT BAR ON 3L AND 3R WOULD NOT ENGAGE. MAINT CAME TO THE ACFT ON THE RAMP AND CLEANED OUT THE AREA WHERE THE GIRT BAR LOCKS IN PLACE. THE ENGAGEMENT LIGHT STILL DID NOT WORK, BUT THE GIRT BAR WAS VERIFIED BY THE MECHS AND AN XCM CAPT THEY WERE LOCKED IN PLACE. F/A'S WERE NOTIFIED AS SUCH. THE MECHS DEPARTED THE ACFT AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. UPON ARR AT OUR NEXT STOP THE MECHS VERIFIED THE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK AND THE ENGAGEMENT LIGHTS WERE PUT ON A MAINT ORDER. AGAIN F/A'S WERE BRIEFED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT THE ISSUE OF PLACING THE ITEM IN THE LOG BOOK AT THE POINT OF DEP DID NOT OCCUR TO THEM AS THE MEL STATED THAT THE LIGHTS WERE NOT REQUIRED TO BE OPERATING SO LONG AS A PHYSICAL CHK WAS MADE OF THE SLIDE GIRT INSERTION AND THE F/A'S (CABIN) WERE BRIEFED AND HAD ALSO INSPECTED THE DOORS. THE POINT OF THE LIGHTS NOT WORKING WAS THOUGHT OF LATER ON AND THAT THE SYS MUST BE NOTED AS INOP AND PLACED ON A MAINT ORDER THROUGH A LOG BOOK ENTRY AND SIGN OFF. THIS WAS DONE AT THE NEXT STOP.

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.