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Air carrier light transport departs with MEL requirements 'blessed' by company ground personnel maintenance department. Wonders if that was legal as an afterthought.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 235568 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199302 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lga |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 4100 |
| ASRS Report | 235568 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Situation: light transport altitude preselect would not operate correctly. It operated between 10000 ft and 10900 ft only maintenance said this came under the autoplt MEL and released the aircraft for flight. The next morning maintenance was queried as to the legality of flying this way due to not having an altitude warning when needed and having a warning in the area of 10000 ft to 10900 ft when not needed. Maintenance said this was a gray area as for whether it was included under the autoplt MEL and they wanted to see what we would do if they released it under this MEL. We relied on maintenance for an interpretation of our problem. They told us it was okay to fly an aircraft that should not have been flown. What really caused the problem: employees in this company are under pressure, primarily to get the job done with safety as a secondary thing. Management is aggressive and most people fear for their jobs. Solution: please have the FAA conduct a thorough inspection of this company.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR LTT DEPARTS WITH MEL REQUIREMENTS 'BLESSED' BY CGP MAINT DEPT. WONDERS IF THAT WAS LEGAL AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
Narrative: SIT: LTT ALT PRESELECT WOULD NOT OPERATE CORRECTLY. IT OPERATED BTWN 10000 FT AND 10900 FT ONLY MAINT SAID THIS CAME UNDER THE AUTOPLT MEL AND RELEASED THE ACFT FOR FLT. THE NEXT MORNING MAINT WAS QUERIED AS TO THE LEGALITY OF FLYING THIS WAY DUE TO NOT HAVING AN ALT WARNING WHEN NEEDED AND HAVING A WARNING IN THE AREA OF 10000 FT TO 10900 FT WHEN NOT NEEDED. MAINT SAID THIS WAS A GRAY AREA AS FOR WHETHER IT WAS INCLUDED UNDER THE AUTOPLT MEL AND THEY WANTED TO SEE WHAT WE WOULD DO IF THEY RELEASED IT UNDER THIS MEL. WE RELIED ON MAINT FOR AN INTERP OF OUR PROB. THEY TOLD US IT WAS OKAY TO FLY AN ACFT THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FLOWN. WHAT REALLY CAUSED THE PROB: EMPLOYEES IN THIS COMPANY ARE UNDER PRESSURE, PRIMARILY TO GET THE JOB DONE WITH SAFETY AS A SECONDARY THING. MGMNT IS AGGRESSIVE AND MOST PEOPLE FEAR FOR THEIR JOBS. SOLUTION: PLEASE HAVE THE FAA CONDUCT A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THIS COMPANY.
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.