Narrative:

Dispatched with MEL 32-xx-xx ECAM brake temperature indication(s). [Aircraft release] showed #2 ECAM brake temperature indication inoperative.later discovered enroute that maintenance had entered an update to the work in progress for the #2 ECAM brake temperature indication including ECAM brake #1; #5 and #6 temperature indications to the list of inoperative indications. It is my belief I dispatched with the incorrect MEL description. I should have had maintenance include the additional inoperative ECAM brake temperature indications prior to accepting the aircraft. Post flight I discussed the issue with 2 line mechanics; maintenance control and the duty officer. All maintenance personnel believed that because the MEL allows us to dispatch with one or all indications inoperative; the maintenance work update was sufficient to update the MEL and it does not matter that the MEL did not include the #1; #5 or #6 ECAM brake temperature indications into the MEL description. My duty officer was like me; unsure.the question arises if it is legal to dispatch with an MEL and later add updates to include more inoperative items under the same MEL but with no change to the initial description. My heartache to this approved procedure is that these maintenance updates can be pages long. Pilots want to know in the MEL description what is broken so they can adequately brief their MEL operational procedures. If a maintenance update is made that includes additional items to that MEL; I believe the MEL should be updated to include all items in the description. Before I left the aircraft; maintenance did agree to include the additional inoperative items in the next aircraft release. I later checked and they complied with my request.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Captain reported that aircraft MEL was modified after takeoff; calling into question whether the aircraft was dispatched legally.

Narrative: Dispatched with MEL 32-XX-XX ECAM Brake Temperature Indication(s). [Aircraft Release] showed #2 ECAM Brake Temperature Indication Inoperative.Later discovered enroute that maintenance had entered an update to the work in progress for the #2 ECAM brake temperature indication including ECAM Brake #1; #5 and #6 temperature indications to the list of inoperative indications. It is my belief I dispatched with the incorrect MEL description. I should have had maintenance include the additional inoperative ECAM Brake Temperature Indications prior to accepting the aircraft. Post flight I discussed the issue with 2 line mechanics; Maintenance Control and the Duty Officer. All maintenance personnel believed that because the MEL allows us to dispatch with one or all indications inoperative; the maintenance work update was sufficient to update the MEL and it does not matter that the MEL did not include the #1; #5 or #6 ECAM Brake Temperature Indications into the MEL description. My Duty Officer was like me; unsure.The question arises if it is legal to dispatch with an MEL and later add updates to include more inoperative items under the same MEL but with no change to the initial description. My heartache to this approved procedure is that these maintenance updates can be pages long. Pilots want to know in the MEL description what is broken so they can adequately brief their MEL operational procedures. If a maintenance update is made that includes additional items to that MEL; I believe the MEL should be updated to include all items in the description. Before I left the aircraft; Maintenance did agree to include the additional inoperative items in the next Aircraft Release. I later checked and they complied with my request.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.