Narrative:

Received aircraft with one cockpit speaker inoperative. Looked at MEL, and it is ok to MEL speaker, unless procedures require its use. I thought I remembered a procedure requiring its use. Unknown smoke and fire, but in checking the emergency checklist, I could not find a reference to the speakers (a recent addition to the cockpit added a switch that cut the flight attendant into the communication coop with oxygen mask on). So, I accept the aircraft. We flew 5 legs. Later in the evening, at the hotel, in doing more research, I found what I had remembered. In the expanded section of the emergency checklist (for unknown smoke), the 'suit up and communication' part of the emergency checklist includes turning on the speaker. Operations. (It is buried in the procedure manual). I am sure that our maintenance people do not look at our procedures when 'MEL-ing' equipment. Maybe they should. Supplemental information from acn 183473. Needless to say, the speaker was fixed before we flew the aircraft again. In building the MEL we need to brainstorm all possible scenarios before we say we can get along without a particular piece of equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ACCEPTS ACFT WITHOUT PROPER CONSIDERATION TO ACFT CHKLIST USE ON ONE ITEM ON THE MEL REQUIREMENT.

Narrative: RECEIVED ACFT WITH ONE COCKPIT SPEAKER INOP. LOOKED AT MEL, AND IT IS OK TO MEL SPEAKER, UNLESS PROCS REQUIRE ITS USE. I THOUGHT I REMEMBERED A PROC REQUIRING ITS USE. UNKNOWN SMOKE AND FIRE, BUT IN CHKING THE EMER CHKLIST, I COULD NOT FIND A REFERENCE TO THE SPEAKERS (A RECENT ADDITION TO THE COCKPIT ADDED A SWITCH THAT CUT THE FA INTO THE COM COOP WITH OXYGEN MASK ON). SO, I ACCEPT THE ACFT. WE FLEW 5 LEGS. LATER IN THE EVENING, AT THE HOTEL, IN DOING MORE RESEARCH, I FOUND WHAT I HAD REMEMBERED. IN THE EXPANDED SECTION OF THE EMER CHKLIST (FOR UNKNOWN SMOKE), THE 'SUIT UP AND COM' PART OF THE EMER CHKLIST INCLUDES TURNING ON THE SPEAKER. OPS. (IT IS BURIED IN THE PROC MANUAL). I AM SURE THAT OUR MAINT PEOPLE DO NOT LOOK AT OUR PROCS WHEN 'MEL-ING' EQUIP. MAYBE THEY SHOULD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 183473. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE SPEAKER WAS FIXED BEFORE WE FLEW THE ACFT AGAIN. IN BUILDING THE MEL WE NEED TO BRAINSTORM ALL POSSIBLE SCENARIOS BEFORE WE SAY WE CAN GET ALONG WITHOUT A PARTICULAR PIECE OF EQUIP.

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.