Aircraft flew with illegal MEL item.

Attributes
ACN	236354
Time
Date	199303
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 209 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	236354
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
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
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Picked up aircraft on arrival in hob station. Aircraft had been carrying MEL item (service interphone alerting system) 'call chime inoperative in cockpit' since mar/xx/93. Aircraft had been released by maintenance control with the MEL and by dispatch numerous times in the 3 days prior to my flight so I was expecting to be able to go. A quick review of the MEL procedures prior to push revealed no special procedures for the item in question. Once en route, after checking MEL more closely, it became apparent the call chime is not an authority/authorized MEL. The MEL number applies to the call system which consists of a light and a chime. The light is ok to go without, but the chime is not. The MEL is worded with some ambiguity and therefore led maintenance control, dispatch, and several crews over 3 days time into taking a non airworthy item into service. Once I realized the error I alerted maintenance control and my chief pilot. Suggest this MEL have included the phrase, 'note: chime must be operative in cockpit' in addition to the inoperative items which are ok to go within a system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FLEW WITH ILLEGAL MEL ITEM.

Narrative: PICKED UP ACFT ON ARR IN HOB STATION. ACFT HAD BEEN CARRYING MEL ITEM (SVC INTERPHONE ALERTING SYS) 'CALL CHIME INOP IN COCKPIT' SINCE MAR/XX/93. ACFT HAD BEEN RELEASED BY MAINT CTL WITH THE MEL AND BY DISPATCH NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE 3 DAYS PRIOR TO MY FLT SO I WAS EXPECTING TO BE ABLE TO GO. A QUICK REVIEW OF THE MEL PROCS PRIOR TO PUSH REVEALED NO SPECIAL PROCS FOR THE ITEM IN QUESTION. ONCE ENRTE, AFTER CHKING MEL MORE CLOSELY, IT BECAME APPARENT THE CALL CHIME IS NOT AN AUTH MEL. THE MEL NUMBER APPLIES TO THE CALL SYS WHICH CONSISTS OF A LIGHT AND A CHIME. THE LIGHT IS OK TO GO WITHOUT, BUT THE CHIME IS NOT. THE MEL IS WORDED WITH SOME AMBIGUITY AND THEREFORE LED MAINT CTL, DISPATCH, AND SEVERAL CREWS OVER 3 DAYS TIME INTO TAKING A NON AIRWORTHY ITEM INTO SVC. ONCE I REALIZED THE ERROR I ALERTED MAINT CTL AND MY CHIEF PLT. SUGGEST THIS MEL HAVE INCLUDED THE PHRASE, 'NOTE: CHIME MUST BE OPERATIVE IN COCKPIT' IN ADDITION TO THE INOP ITEMS WHICH ARE OK TO GO WITHIN A SYS.

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.