Narrative:

Dispatch was slow to provide release. Due to perceived time constrains, the first officer and I rushed the preflight. We did not discover the broken spoiler linkage in the flap well. During the pre-departure checks, the pwred flight control system indicator revealed no deployment of the left outboard roll spoiler. We asked for a visibility check of the spoiler from line service and dispatch (because of the vantage point of the dispatch office). Both stated that the spoiler operated normally, therefore I (incorrectly) assumed the indicator was faulty. I then decided to carry the faulty indicator until we reached the next maintenance base. The first flight operated normally in all respects. During the intermediate stop, another check of the spoiler determined that the spoiler itself was malfunctioning (and not the indicator). Predicated on the uneventful completion of the first flight, I decided to continue to the maintenance base. I incorrectly attributed the malfunction to a faulty pressure dump valve. The first officer flew the leg to home base. A moderate left-to-right crosswind on final required left wing down correction on final. The landing was made west/O incident, but right of centerline. The first officer remarked that the landing required greater than usual yoke deflection and control pressures on final (a logical situation that we should have anticipated). Post-flight inspection revealed the broken spoiler linkage inside the flap well, adjacent to other control cables, etc! In retrospect, a more serious situation may have developed had the linkage affected other control systems. A series of oversights, assumptions and judgement errors on my part resulted in an aircraft operating that should have been grounded. Specifically, a rushed preflight, requesting and accepting information from non qualified persons, noncompliance with MEL procedures. In general, I placed schedule considerations above safety considerations and, through no credit of my own, arrived west/O incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF ACR MDT ELECTS TO NOT WRITE UP AN ASSUMED FAULTY FLT CTL SYSTEM INDICATOR AND LATER EXPERIENCES CTL PROBLEMS ON APCH AFTER HAVING ASCERTAINED THAT THE CTL ITSELF WAS INOP ON AN INTERMEDIATE STOP.

Narrative: DISPATCH WAS SLOW TO PROVIDE RELEASE. DUE TO PERCEIVED TIME CONSTRAINS, THE F/O AND I RUSHED THE PREFLT. WE DID NOT DISCOVER THE BROKEN SPOILER LINKAGE IN THE FLAP WELL. DURING THE PRE-DEP CHKS, THE PWRED FLT CTL SYS INDICATOR REVEALED NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE LEFT OUTBOARD ROLL SPOILER. WE ASKED FOR A VIS CHK OF THE SPOILER FROM LINE SVC AND DISPATCH (BECAUSE OF THE VANTAGE POINT OF THE DISPATCH OFFICE). BOTH STATED THAT THE SPOILER OPERATED NORMALLY, THEREFORE I (INCORRECTLY) ASSUMED THE INDICATOR WAS FAULTY. I THEN DECIDED TO CARRY THE FAULTY INDICATOR UNTIL WE REACHED THE NEXT MAINT BASE. THE FIRST FLT OPERATED NORMALLY IN ALL RESPECTS. DURING THE INTERMEDIATE STOP, ANOTHER CHK OF THE SPOILER DETERMINED THAT THE SPOILER ITSELF WAS MALFUNCTIONING (AND NOT THE INDICATOR). PREDICATED ON THE UNEVENTFUL COMPLETION OF THE FIRST FLT, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO THE MAINT BASE. I INCORRECTLY ATTRIBUTED THE MALFUNCTION TO A FAULTY PRESSURE DUMP VALVE. THE F/O FLEW THE LEG TO HOME BASE. A MODERATE LEFT-TO-RIGHT XWIND ON FINAL REQUIRED LEFT WING DOWN CORRECTION ON FINAL. THE LNDG WAS MADE W/O INCIDENT, BUT RIGHT OF CENTERLINE. THE F/O REMARKED THAT THE LNDG REQUIRED GREATER THAN USUAL YOKE DEFLECTION AND CTL PRESSURES ON FINAL (A LOGICAL SITUATION THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED). POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED THE BROKEN SPOILER LINKAGE INSIDE THE FLAP WELL, ADJACENT TO OTHER CTL CABLES, ETC! IN RETROSPECT, A MORE SERIOUS SITUATION MAY HAVE DEVELOPED HAD THE LINKAGE AFFECTED OTHER CTL SYSTEMS. A SERIES OF OVERSIGHTS, ASSUMPTIONS AND JUDGEMENT ERRORS ON MY PART RESULTED IN AN ACFT OPERATING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GNDED. SPECIFICALLY, A RUSHED PREFLT, REQUESTING AND ACCEPTING INFO FROM NON QUALIFIED PERSONS, NONCOMPLIANCE WITH MEL PROCS. IN GENERAL, I PLACED SCHEDULE CONSIDERATIONS ABOVE SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS AND, THROUGH NO CREDIT OF MY OWN, ARRIVED W/O INCIDENT.

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.