Deferred maintenance itme was operated per out of date minimum equipment list requirement.

Attributes
ACN	158077
Time
Date	199009
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
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 : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	158077
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 17200 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	158071
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flap disagree warning light on flap position indicator was placarded inoperative at a previous station. MEL procedures require a ground check by both ground and cockpit crew of flap position before takeoff. This was accomplished by maintenance and the cockpit crew. At night the cockpit crew was confident the flaps were symmetrical and down the correct position as indicated by what appeared to be the appropriate marks. Daytime inspection revealed indicator marks had been removed but MEL was never updated. After occurrence MEL is now being updated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ITME WAS OPERATED PER OUT OF DATE MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST REQUIREMENT.

Narrative: FLAP DISAGREE WARNING LIGHT ON FLAP POS INDICATOR WAS PLACARDED INOP AT A PREVIOUS STATION. MEL PROCS REQUIRE A GND CHK BY BOTH GND AND COCKPIT CREW OF FLAP POS BEFORE TKOF. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY MAINT AND THE COCKPIT CREW. AT NIGHT THE COCKPIT CREW WAS CONFIDENT THE FLAPS WERE SYMMETRICAL AND DOWN THE CORRECT POS AS INDICATED BY WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE APPROPRIATE MARKS. DAYTIME INSPECTION REVEALED INDICATOR MARKS HAD BEEN REMOVED BUT MEL WAS NEVER UPDATED. AFTER OCCURRENCE MEL IS NOW BEING UPDATED.

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.