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An air carrier widebody transport crew had difficulty interpreting its company's MEL regarding the fuel system.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 233608 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199302 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Route In Use | enroute : pacific enroute : other oceanic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 233608 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Chart Or Publication |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Publication | Unspecified |
Narrative:
Preflight procedures involving fuel system and inoperative fuel schedule lights, led to possible misinterp of MEL. Different procedures for different conditions and side notes difficult to read and understand, even though they were read several times by all 3 very experienced cockpit crew members. Often several MEL's are required to depart the flight, involving indepth system knowledge and review. To prevent misunderstanding and ensure proper compliance, MEL's should be written in the most straightforward, step-by- step format possible.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR WDB CREW HAD DIFFICULTY INTERPRETING ITS COMPANY'S MEL REGARDING THE FUEL SYS.
Narrative: PREFLT PROCS INVOLVING FUEL SYS AND INOP FUEL SCHEDULE LIGHTS, LED TO POSSIBLE MISINTERP OF MEL. DIFFERENT PROCS FOR DIFFERENT CONDITIONS AND SIDE NOTES DIFFICULT TO READ AND UNDERSTAND, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE READ SEVERAL TIMES BY ALL 3 VERY EXPERIENCED COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS. OFTEN SEVERAL MEL'S ARE REQUIRED TO DEPART THE FLT, INVOLVING INDEPTH SYS KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW. TO PREVENT MISUNDERSTANDING AND ENSURE PROPER COMPLIANCE, MEL'S SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD, STEP-BY- STEP FORMAT POSSIBLE.
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.