Air carrier dispatched with a number of MEL items not signed off.

Attributes
ACN	120091
Time
Date	198908
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx
State Reference	OR
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	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	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 pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	120091
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon arriving at the aircraft, we were told of 2 problems. (1) was the intermittent working of the interphone and chimes (interconnected) and the (2) water faucet in aft lavs constantly running. Due to the time (:45 min) consumed troubleshooting and correcting the interphone and lav problem, we departed pdx in haste and failed to check the logbook for open items. It was the F/east's duty to do this, but it was the captain's responsibility. We flew all the way to jfk with these items open. The check F/east discovered it shared with me (captain) the seriousness of it all. We tried to rectify it en route with no success, as well as at landing at jfk, again with no success. Jfk mechanics did correct the problems, but with a jfk entered in the station block, instead of 'pdx' as it should have been. All of these mistakes, unfortunately, occupied a portion of our concentration and subsequently caused us to make other small errors along the flight in the jfk area as well as a very serious altitude deviation (entered to NASA in another report on another form). As the captain, having never, ever had either of these things occur, it was quite a shock to me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER DISPATCHED WITH A NUMBER OF MEL ITEMS NOT SIGNED OFF.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING AT THE ACFT, WE WERE TOLD OF 2 PROBLEMS. (1) WAS THE INTERMITTENT WORKING OF THE INTERPHONE AND CHIMES (INTERCONNECTED) AND THE (2) WATER FAUCET IN AFT LAVS CONSTANTLY RUNNING. DUE TO THE TIME (:45 MIN) CONSUMED TROUBLESHOOTING AND CORRECTING THE INTERPHONE AND LAV PROBLEM, WE DEPARTED PDX IN HASTE AND FAILED TO CHECK THE LOGBOOK FOR OPEN ITEMS. IT WAS THE F/E'S DUTY TO DO THIS, BUT IT WAS THE CAPT'S RESPONSIBILITY. WE FLEW ALL THE WAY TO JFK WITH THESE ITEMS OPEN. THE CHECK F/E DISCOVERED IT SHARED WITH ME (CAPT) THE SERIOUSNESS OF IT ALL. WE TRIED TO RECTIFY IT ENRTE WITH NO SUCCESS, AS WELL AS AT LNDG AT JFK, AGAIN WITH NO SUCCESS. JFK MECHANICS DID CORRECT THE PROBLEMS, BUT WITH A JFK ENTERED IN THE STATION BLOCK, INSTEAD OF 'PDX' AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. ALL OF THESE MISTAKES, UNFORTUNATELY, OCCUPIED A PORTION OF OUR CONCENTRATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSED US TO MAKE OTHER SMALL ERRORS ALONG THE FLT IN THE JFK AREA AS WELL AS A VERY SERIOUS ALT DEVIATION (ENTERED TO NASA IN ANOTHER REPORT ON ANOTHER FORM). AS THE CAPT, HAVING NEVER, EVER HAD EITHER OF THESE THINGS OCCUR, IT WAS QUITE A SHOCK TO ME.

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.