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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Cpr pilot performs flight with inoperative wing flaps without making legal reference to the MEL requirement section of his operations manual. Wonders if he was illegal so long as he was safe in his planning for proper runway lengths and runway remaining.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 193725 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199111 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : vny |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 193725 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| Publication | Unspecified |
Narrative:
On preflight I discovered the flaps were inoperative in the full up position. Takeoff and landing data are available for this condition. More than twice the runway required was available at departure point and destination. The flight was uneventful with all operations normal. However, upon arrival at destination, the chief pilot noted that this condition was not 'MEL'ed', therefore, the legality of the flight was questionable. Reflecting on my decision from a safety position, I believe I did nothing wrong. But from the legal point of view I may have made a poor decision. A 0 flap takeoff is normal as well as with 15 degrees of flap. The question arises, if landing data is available and more than adequate runway is available is the flight unsafe or just illegal.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CPR PLT PERFORMS FLT WITH INOP WING FLAPS WITHOUT MAKING LEGAL REF TO THE MEL REQUIREMENT SECTION OF HIS OPS MANUAL. WONDERS IF HE WAS ILLEGAL SO LONG AS HE WAS SAFE IN HIS PLANNING FOR PROPER RWY LENGTHS AND RWY REMAINING.
Narrative: ON PREFLT I DISCOVERED THE FLAPS WERE INOP IN THE FULL UP POS. TKOF AND LNDG DATA ARE AVAILABLE FOR THIS CONDITION. MORE THAN TWICE THE RWY REQUIRED WAS AVAILABLE AT DEP POINT AND DEST. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH ALL OPS NORMAL. HOWEVER, UPON ARR AT DEST, THE CHIEF PLT NOTED THAT THIS CONDITION WAS NOT 'MEL'ED', THEREFORE, THE LEGALITY OF THE FLT WAS QUESTIONABLE. REFLECTING ON MY DECISION FROM A SAFETY POS, I BELIEVE I DID NOTHING WRONG. BUT FROM THE LEGAL POINT OF VIEW I MAY HAVE MADE A POOR DECISION. A 0 FLAP TKOF IS NORMAL AS WELL AS WITH 15 DEGS OF FLAP. THE QUESTION ARISES, IF LNDG DATA IS AVAILABLE AND MORE THAN ADEQUATE RWY IS AVAILABLE IS THE FLT UNSAFE OR JUST ILLEGAL.
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.