Narrative:

Inbound into stl the radio altimeter did not function normally. The captain referred to the MEL which is issued to capts only and not carried as an aircraft document. While on the ground in stl, I continued with my duties as first officer since we were a few mins late with a scheduled 15 min turn. The captain returned to the aircraft and made the comment, 'I just talked to maintenance and will tell you about it on the way to okc.' we then reviewed the route and clearance followed by the checklist items. En route to okc I learned that replacement parts and contract maintenance would be available. Further discussion and evaluation, however, revealed that the repairs should have taken place in stl. Not being a witness to or a participant in the conversation between the captain and maintenance, I was unaware of portions of the discussion and their agreed upon solution. I was under the impression that we were operational based upon the captain's statement previously ('I just talked to maintenance and will tell you about it on the way to okc'). En route I began to suspect, and it was later confirmed, that repairs should have been made in stl. In the future, I will press the issue to make sure that I have the complete information about any known or potential problem rather than relying soley upon the captain's assurances. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter advised there are 3 configns for this aircraft, two cannot be dispatched without the radio altimeter and one can. They had picked the wrong aircraft. No withholding on information and the captain has been counseled by the company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADIO ALTIMETER INOP. NOT APPROVED DEFERRED ITEM.

Narrative: INBOUND INTO STL THE RADIO ALTIMETER DID NOT FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE CAPT REFERRED TO THE MEL WHICH IS ISSUED TO CAPTS ONLY AND NOT CARRIED AS AN ACFT DOCUMENT. WHILE ON THE GND IN STL, I CONTINUED WITH MY DUTIES AS FO SINCE WE WERE A FEW MINS LATE WITH A SCHEDULED 15 MIN TURN. THE CAPT RETURNED TO THE ACFT AND MADE THE COMMENT, 'I JUST TALKED TO MAINT AND WILL TELL YOU ABOUT IT ON THE WAY TO OKC.' WE THEN REVIEWED THE RTE AND CLRNC FOLLOWED BY THE CHKLIST ITEMS. ENRTE TO OKC I LEARNED THAT REPLACEMENT PARTS AND CONTRACT MAINT WOULD BE AVAILABLE. FURTHER DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION, HOWEVER, REVEALED THAT THE REPAIRS SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN STL. NOT BEING A WITNESS TO OR A PARTICIPANT IN THE CONVERSATION BTWN THE CAPT AND MAINT, I WAS UNAWARE OF PORTIONS OF THE DISCUSSION AND THEIR AGREED UPON SOLUTION. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE OPERATIONAL BASED UPON THE CAPT'S STATEMENT PREVIOUSLY ('I JUST TALKED TO MAINT AND WILL TELL YOU ABOUT IT ON THE WAY TO OKC'). ENRTE I BEGAN TO SUSPECT, AND IT WAS LATER CONFIRMED, THAT REPAIRS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE IN STL. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL PRESS THE ISSUE TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE THE COMPLETE INFO ABOUT ANY KNOWN OR POTENTIAL PROBLEM RATHER THAN RELYING SOLEY UPON THE CAPT'S ASSURANCES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR ADVISED THERE ARE 3 CONFIGNS FOR THIS ACFT, TWO CANNOT BE DISPATCHED WITHOUT THE RADIO ALTIMETER AND ONE CAN. THEY HAD PICKED THE WRONG ACFT. NO WITHHOLDING ON INFO AND THE CAPT HAS BEEN COUNSELED BY THE COMPANY.

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.