Narrative:

This is a letter I'm writing to you just to get it off my chest and to help clear my conscience. I'm an aircraft maintenance foreman (new) for air carrier. We had a medium large transport on the gate getting it ready for a departure. It had an inoperative APU. Just prior to departure, the captain called for a maintenance foreman, I went into the cockpit to talk to him and he asked my if the APU was in any way usable, I told him no because it had an oil leak and was inoperative per the MEL which meant the circuit breaker in lower 41 was pulled, preventing it from starting. The captain did not plead or beg me but asked if there was anyway he could use it if he had a real emergency and explained to me that he had severe WX between O'hare and cleveland, and an APU that was leaking oil would be better than nothing if he lost his engine generators. I then told him if he really needed it to go ahead and use it, and I reset the circuit breaker for him going against the MEL procedure. The airplane made it ok, he didn't have to use the APU but I feel real bad about what I did. I've worked for air carrier for xx yrs and have never done anything like this before and so help me I'll never do it again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECH RESETS CIRCUIT BREAKER ON INOP APU WHICH WAS MEL'D.

Narrative: THIS IS A LETTER I'M WRITING TO YOU JUST TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST AND TO HELP CLR MY CONSCIENCE. I'M AN ACFT MAINT FOREMAN (NEW) FOR ACR. WE HAD A MLG ON THE GATE GETTING IT READY FOR A DEP. IT HAD AN INOP APU. JUST PRIOR TO DEP, THE CAPT CALLED FOR A MAINT FOREMAN, I WENT INTO THE COCKPIT TO TALK TO HIM AND HE ASKED MY IF THE APU WAS IN ANY WAY USABLE, I TOLD HIM NO BECAUSE IT HAD AN OIL LEAK AND WAS INOP PER THE MEL WHICH MEANT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN LOWER 41 WAS PULLED, PREVENTING IT FROM STARTING. THE CAPT DID NOT PLEAD OR BEG ME BUT ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYWAY HE COULD USE IT IF HE HAD A REAL EMER AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT HE HAD SEVERE WX BTWN O'HARE AND CLEVELAND, AND AN APU THAT WAS LEAKING OIL WOULD BE BETTER THAN NOTHING IF HE LOST HIS ENG GENERATORS. I THEN TOLD HIM IF HE REALLY NEEDED IT TO GO AHEAD AND USE IT, AND I RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR HIM GOING AGAINST THE MEL PROC. THE AIRPLANE MADE IT OK, HE DIDN'T HAVE TO USE THE APU BUT I FEEL REAL BAD ABOUT WHAT I DID. I'VE WORKED FOR ACR FOR XX YRS AND HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE AND SO HELP ME I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN.

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.