Narrative:

Captain notified me that he had low crew oxygen on his originating flight from fwa to pit. This occurred on the ground before departure. We checked with maintenance and talked to the maintenance controller. He said that the way the MEL read that if the aircraft was kept at a fl where oxygen was not required we were legal. The captain and myself agreed if we filed at 10000 AGL we could get the aircraft to pit to obtain a new oxygen bottle, as there were none available at fwa. There were passenger on board, and the passenger oxygen system was operational. I released the flight with it filed at 10000 ft and it flew safely from fwa to pit with no incidents. After the flight was on its way, management, along with the flight department, looked further into this operation and deemed it illegal. Although they wanted me to release from fwa to ind for another oxygen bottle because it was a 18 min segment instead of a 37 min segment the problem that the flight department found was if there was a possible cockpit fire or smoke in the cockpit we would have a possible problem. We were equipped with the pbe hoops or pel units in the cockpit and walk around oxygen bottles. I have contacted captain about this incident and he will also send a report. He told me that they have an emergency checklist for this situation so we thought we had addressed the problem. I will not release another flight with this problem again. As a matter of fact, I will refuse it and let management have it. This crew oxygen MEL has a very grey area to it, and I believe the company needs to clarify it for future reference.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VIOLATION OF FARS IN DEV FROM MEL REQUIREMENTS. ACR MLG DISPATCHED WITHOUT FLC COCKPIT OXYGEN AVAILABLE.

Narrative: CAPT NOTIFIED ME THAT HE HAD LOW CREW OXYGEN ON HIS ORIGINATING FLT FROM FWA TO PIT. THIS OCCURRED ON THE GND BEFORE DEP. WE CHKED WITH MAINT AND TALKED TO THE MAINT CTLR. HE SAID THAT THE WAY THE MEL READ THAT IF THE ACFT WAS KEPT AT A FL WHERE OXYGEN WAS NOT REQUIRED WE WERE LEGAL. THE CAPT AND MYSELF AGREED IF WE FILED AT 10000 AGL WE COULD GET THE ACFT TO PIT TO OBTAIN A NEW OXYGEN BOTTLE, AS THERE WERE NONE AVAILABLE AT FWA. THERE WERE PAX ON BOARD, AND THE PAX OXYGEN SYS WAS OPERATIONAL. I RELEASED THE FLT WITH IT FILED AT 10000 FT AND IT FLEW SAFELY FROM FWA TO PIT WITH NO INCIDENTS. AFTER THE FLT WAS ON ITS WAY, MGMNT, ALONG WITH THE FLT DEPT, LOOKED FURTHER INTO THIS OP AND DEEMED IT ILLEGAL. ALTHOUGH THEY WANTED ME TO RELEASE FROM FWA TO IND FOR ANOTHER OXYGEN BOTTLE BECAUSE IT WAS A 18 MIN SEGMENT INSTEAD OF A 37 MIN SEGMENT THE PROBLEM THAT THE FLT DEPT FOUND WAS IF THERE WAS A POSSIBLE COCKPIT FIRE OR SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT WE WOULD HAVE A POSSIBLE PROBLEM. WE WERE EQUIPPED WITH THE PBE HOOPS OR PEL UNITS IN THE COCKPIT AND WALK AROUND OXYGEN BOTTLES. I HAVE CONTACTED CAPT ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND HE WILL ALSO SEND A RPT. HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE AN EMER CHKLIST FOR THIS SITUATION SO WE THOUGHT WE HAD ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM. I WILL NOT RELEASE ANOTHER FLT WITH THIS PROBLEM AGAIN. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WILL REFUSE IT AND LET MGMNT HAVE IT. THIS CREW OXYGEN MEL HAS A VERY GREY AREA TO IT, AND I BELIEVE THE COMPANY NEEDS TO CLARIFY IT FOR FUTURE REF.

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.