Narrative:

10 mins past schedule push. Previous flight to our destination (ewr-tpa) cancelled. Previous flight's passenger now boarded on our flight causes it to be oversold. Volunteers being solicited for deny-boarding procedures. Maintenance working on securing emergency exit row seat-back tray table in up position. All the ingredients present for a simple, but obvious, oversight. During above-mentioned frantic and hectic scene, and while awaiting anxiously for everything to come together for a long-awaited pushback, a F/a advised cockpit crew that row 25ABC overhead O2 panel had dropped and wouldn't stay up. Entry made in log book and maintenance advised to fix or secure O2 panel. After temporary MEL fix (taped in closed position), mechanic signed off log book and advised us that he briefed passenger in that row on how to pull panel down, in accordance with company manual policy. A quick reference to our MEL section confirmed the fact that the passenger in that row were to be briefed. Also, catering now short-changed us meals. What was overlooked was the second condition restricting our flight (with a taped 02 panel) to FL250, which we surprisingly discovered (embarrassing, too!) at FL350 and a 1/2 hour at cruise, when dispatch selcaled us with our revised and amended dispatch release with a new fuel burn at FL250! In the future, I will concentrate on reading and absorbing the entire applicable MEL, and not just confirm part of it. Note: what was to be an on-time push with only one maintenance write-up quickly was compounded at push time with the oversell situation, additional maintenance item, catering problems, etc all at once, and this changed our mindset from a 'caution' attitude to a 'let's go' attitude. Supplemental information from acn 141644: in the rush to get a full load of people on their way to fl, I took the word of maintenance that all necessary procedures had been complied with. We confirmed our mistake by reading the MEL thoroughly, and descended to FL240. Fuel was not a problem as we had adequate fuel for holding to cover the added burn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT WITH PASSENGER O2 PANEL TAPED CLOSED EXCEEDS MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST ALT RESTRICTION OF 25000'.

Narrative: 10 MINS PAST SCHEDULE PUSH. PREVIOUS FLT TO OUR DEST (EWR-TPA) CANCELLED. PREVIOUS FLT'S PAX NOW BOARDED ON OUR FLT CAUSES IT TO BE OVERSOLD. VOLUNTEERS BEING SOLICITED FOR DENY-BOARDING PROCS. MAINT WORKING ON SECURING EMER EXIT ROW SEAT-BACK TRAY TABLE IN UP POS. ALL THE INGREDIENTS PRESENT FOR A SIMPLE, BUT OBVIOUS, OVERSIGHT. DURING ABOVE-MENTIONED FRANTIC AND HECTIC SCENE, AND WHILE AWAITING ANXIOUSLY FOR EVERYTHING TO COME TOGETHER FOR A LONG-AWAITED PUSHBACK, A F/A ADVISED COCKPIT CREW THAT ROW 25ABC OVERHEAD O2 PANEL HAD DROPPED AND WOULDN'T STAY UP. ENTRY MADE IN LOG BOOK AND MAINT ADVISED TO FIX OR SECURE O2 PANEL. AFTER TEMPORARY MEL FIX (TAPED IN CLOSED POS), MECH SIGNED OFF LOG BOOK AND ADVISED US THAT HE BRIEFED PAX IN THAT ROW ON HOW TO PULL PANEL DOWN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY MANUAL POLICY. A QUICK REF TO OUR MEL SECTION CONFIRMED THE FACT THAT THE PAX IN THAT ROW WERE TO BE BRIEFED. ALSO, CATERING NOW SHORT-CHANGED US MEALS. WHAT WAS OVERLOOKED WAS THE SECOND CONDITION RESTRICTING OUR FLT (WITH A TAPED 02 PANEL) TO FL250, WHICH WE SURPRISINGLY DISCOVERED (EMBARRASSING, TOO!) AT FL350 AND A 1/2 HR AT CRUISE, WHEN DISPATCH SELCALED US WITH OUR REVISED AND AMENDED DISPATCH RELEASE WITH A NEW FUEL BURN AT FL250! IN THE FUTURE, I WILL CONCENTRATE ON READING AND ABSORBING THE ENTIRE APPLICABLE MEL, AND NOT JUST CONFIRM PART OF IT. NOTE: WHAT WAS TO BE AN ON-TIME PUSH WITH ONLY ONE MAINT WRITE-UP QUICKLY WAS COMPOUNDED AT PUSH TIME WITH THE OVERSELL SITUATION, ADDITIONAL MAINT ITEM, CATERING PROBS, ETC ALL AT ONCE, AND THIS CHANGED OUR MINDSET FROM A 'CAUTION' ATTITUDE TO A 'LET'S GO' ATTITUDE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 141644: IN THE RUSH TO GET A FULL LOAD OF PEOPLE ON THEIR WAY TO FL, I TOOK THE WORD OF MAINT THAT ALL NECESSARY PROCS HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH. WE CONFIRMED OUR MISTAKE BY READING THE MEL THOROUGHLY, AND DSNDED TO FL240. FUEL WAS NOT A PROB AS WE HAD ADEQUATE FUEL FOR HOLDING TO COVER THE ADDED BURN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.