MEL requirements misinterp. Air carrier light transport revenue flight operated illegally.

Attributes
ACN	233438
Time
Date	199302
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bgm
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	233438
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flashing low fuel pressure light followed by a popped fuel pump breaker. Maintenance called it an inoperative low fuel warning system and used MEL 28-4. After the completion of a flight bgm-phl, after a complaint from another pilot, maintenance said it was an inoperative fuel pump making the previous flight an inappropriate revenue flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEL REQUIREMENTS MISINTERP. ACR LTT REVENUE FLT OPERATED ILLEGALLY.

Narrative: FLASHING LOW FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT FOLLOWED BY A POPPED FUEL PUMP BREAKER. MAINT CALLED IT AN INOP LOW FUEL WARNING SYS AND USED MEL 28-4. AFTER THE COMPLETION OF A FLT BGM-PHL, AFTER A COMPLAINT FROM ANOTHER PLT, MAINT SAID IT WAS AN INOP FUEL PUMP MAKING THE PREVIOUS FLT AN INAPPROPRIATE REVENUE FLT.

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.