An air carrier widebody transport crew flew an aircraft with a maintenance item improperly signed of...

Attributes
ACN	246709
Time
Date	199307
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
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	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	246709
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 168 flight time type : 168
ASRS Report	246456
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

During preflight preparations, the slat position lights, which indicate the position of the leading edge slats, would not test using the test button on the flap/slat indicator. Maintenance personnel changed indicators, but the lights still would not test. The slats were then lowered using the slat flap handle, and proper operation of the slat position lights was verified. The aircraft MEL did not have a listing for the test function of the slat position lights. Maintenance control at headquarters was consulted on this matter, and issued a maintenance control deferral for this item, which was entered into the aircraft logbook. The flight then operated with the slat position lights test function inoperative. I have been unable to find a definition of a maintenance control deferral in the company flight operations manual, and have doubts as to the legality of dispatching an aircraft with an inoperative function with no MEL listing to cover it. Supplemental information from acn 246456: it appeared to be a testing problem only. We also recycled the circuit breakers with no effect. Mechanics also changed the flap/slat position indicator with the same incorrect testing problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB CREW FLEW AN ACFT WITH A MAINT ITEM IMPROPERLY SIGNED OFF BY MAINT.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT PREPARATIONS, THE SLAT POS LIGHTS, WHICH INDICATE THE POS OF THE LEADING EDGE SLATS, WOULD NOT TEST USING THE TEST BUTTON ON THE FLAP/SLAT INDICATOR. MAINT PERSONNEL CHANGED INDICATORS, BUT THE LIGHTS STILL WOULD NOT TEST. THE SLATS WERE THEN LOWERED USING THE SLAT FLAP HANDLE, AND PROPER OP OF THE SLAT POS LIGHTS WAS VERIFIED. THE ACFT MEL DID NOT HAVE A LISTING FOR THE TEST FUNCTION OF THE SLAT POS LIGHTS. MAINT CTL AT HEADQUARTERS WAS CONSULTED ON THIS MATTER, AND ISSUED A MAINT CTL DEFERRAL FOR THIS ITEM, WHICH WAS ENTERED INTO THE ACFT LOGBOOK. THE FLT THEN OPERATED WITH THE SLAT POS LIGHTS TEST FUNCTION INOP. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND A DEFINITION OF A MAINT CTL DEFERRAL IN THE COMPANY FLT OPS MANUAL, AND HAVE DOUBTS AS TO THE LEGALITY OF DISPATCHING AN ACFT WITH AN INOP FUNCTION WITH NO MEL LISTING TO COVER IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 246456: IT APPEARED TO BE A TESTING PROB ONLY. WE ALSO RECYCLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITH NO EFFECT. MECHS ALSO CHANGED THE FLAP/SLAT POS INDICATOR WITH THE SAME INCORRECT TESTING PROB.

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.

An air carrier widebody transport crew flew an aircraft with a maintenance item improperly signed off by maintenance.