Narrative:

Flight sep/91 was a scheduled part 121 IFR operation from msp-mke. Aircraft type was an large transport. Flight was scheduled to depart msp at AM45 CDT with an estimated time en route of 45 mins. Min fuel on dispatch release was 18500 pounds with no MEL/cdl items listed for the flight. Actual fuel on board was 19000 pounds. Flight departed 23 mins late due to the fact that the aircraft came from the hangar where maintenance was performed on the aircraft the previous night. A maintenance discrepancy regarding an inoperative boost pump in the #1 fuel tank was supposedly corrected during the previous night's maintenance and the item was signed off as such in the aircraft logbook. However, just prior to pushback, maintenance personnel reentered that same discrepancy in the aircraft logbook and deferred it via the aircraft MEL. Only after departing msp did flight crew become aware of MEL requirement to carry an additional 9600 pounds of fuel with an inoperative boost pump in the #1 fuel tank. Min fuel on dispatch release should have been 28100 pounds and the inoperative boost pump should have been listed on the release. Flight to mke was uneventful. Although the flight crew was partly at fault for not insuring that the provisions of the aircraft MEL were complied with, I thought there was a total lack of communication between maintenance, dispatch, and the flight crew. Supplemental information from acn 189536. Flight left msp without receiving a flight release amendment to add MEL 28-4A, #1 aft boost pump. Additionally, the extra, unusable fuel was not boarded. I contacted the flight by voice radio at AM36. I advised the captain of the situation. He advised me that he elected to continue to mke. I recorded the captain's decision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT DEP ARPT WITH AN ILLEGAL DISPATCH RELEASE BECAUSE OF NON ADHERENCE TO A MEL REQUIREMENT.

Narrative: FLT SEP/91 WAS A SCHEDULED PART 121 IFR OP FROM MSP-MKE. ACFT TYPE WAS AN LGT. FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART MSP AT AM45 CDT WITH AN ESTIMATED TIME ENRTE OF 45 MINS. MIN FUEL ON DISPATCH RELEASE WAS 18500 POUNDS WITH NO MEL/CDL ITEMS LISTED FOR THE FLT. ACTUAL FUEL ON BOARD WAS 19000 POUNDS. FLT DEPARTED 23 MINS LATE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ACFT CAME FROM THE HANGAR WHERE MAINT WAS PERFORMED ON THE ACFT THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. A MAINT DISCREPANCY REGARDING AN INOP BOOST PUMP IN THE #1 FUEL TANK WAS SUPPOSEDLY CORRECTED DURING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT'S MAINT AND THE ITEM WAS SIGNED OFF AS SUCH IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. HOWEVER, JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, MAINT PERSONNEL REENTERED THAT SAME DISCREPANCY IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND DEFERRED IT VIA THE ACFT MEL. ONLY AFTER DEPARTING MSP DID FLC BECOME AWARE OF MEL REQUIREMENT TO CARRY AN ADDITIONAL 9600 POUNDS OF FUEL WITH AN INOP BOOST PUMP IN THE #1 FUEL TANK. MIN FUEL ON DISPATCH RELEASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 28100 POUNDS AND THE INOP BOOST PUMP SHOULD HAVE BEEN LISTED ON THE RELEASE. FLT TO MKE WAS UNEVENTFUL. ALTHOUGH THE FLC WAS PARTLY AT FAULT FOR NOT INSURING THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACFT MEL WERE COMPLIED WITH, I THOUGHT THERE WAS A TOTAL LACK OF COM BTWN MAINT, DISPATCH, AND THE FLC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 189536. FLT LEFT MSP WITHOUT RECEIVING A FLT RELEASE AMENDMENT TO ADD MEL 28-4A, #1 AFT BOOST PUMP. ADDITIONALLY, THE EXTRA, UNUSABLE FUEL WAS NOT BOARDED. I CONTACTED THE FLT BY VOICE RADIO AT AM36. I ADVISED THE CAPT OF THE SITUATION. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO MKE. I RECORDED THE CAPT'S DECISION.

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.