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Commuter captain complains that MEL permitted dispatch with inoperative flap position indicator is unsafe.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 181428 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199106 |
| Day | Wed |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : day |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4500 |
| ASRS Report | 181428 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Our commuter airline has an approved MEL that allows maintenance deferral of defective/broken flap position indicators on small transport aircraft. The only requirements are flaps are visly checked for full travel and unimpaired flap operation, and flaps are visly checked for proper settings prior to each departure. On this aircraft there are two pilots and no cabin attendants. It would be impossible to verify flap retraction after takeoff or landing phase flap settings west/O a pilot leaving his seat during these critical phases of flight. This is unsafe and the flap indicator should not be deferrable per MEL.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: COMMUTER CAPT COMPLAINS THAT MEL PERMITTED DISPATCH WITH INOPERATIVE FLAP POSITION INDICATOR IS UNSAFE.
Narrative: OUR COMMUTER AIRLINE HAS AN APPROVED MEL THAT ALLOWS MAINT DEFERRAL OF DEFECTIVE/BROKEN FLAP POS INDICATORS ON SMT ACFT. THE ONLY REQUIREMENTS ARE FLAPS ARE VISLY CHKED FOR FULL TRAVEL AND UNIMPAIRED FLAP OPERATION, AND FLAPS ARE VISLY CHKED FOR PROPER SETTINGS PRIOR TO EACH DEP. ON THIS ACFT THERE ARE TWO PLTS AND NO CABIN ATTENDANTS. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO VERIFY FLAP RETRACTION AFTER TKOF OR LNDG PHASE FLAP SETTINGS W/O A PLT LEAVING HIS SEAT DURING THESE CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT. THIS IS UNSAFE AND THE FLAP INDICATOR SHOULD NOT BE DEFERRABLE PER MEL.
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.