Narrative:

I am a 737 pilot for an airline. All of our 737's except for 6 are the advanced 737-200 with mode control panel, 2 autoplts and automatic-throttles on the 737-300. Both these type are CAT III certified. The other 6 oddballs are the older version of the 737-200, 1 autoplt, (no altitude capture feature, control wheel steering only, and no autothrottles, and only 1 flight director control panel). We might have to fly one of these aircraft once every 6 months. As luck would have it, on my trip from okc to atl one of these aircraft showed up the autoplt placarded inoperative because the stabilizer out of trim light had come on during previous leg. This meant CAT I min's only. The atl WX was 2 mi overcast fog RVR 6000 ft winds 30 degrees off runway heading, gusting to 30 KTS. Marginal CAT I mins. (Our abnormal procedures for the stabilizer out of trim light are to disengage the autoplt, re-retrim the aircraft, then reengage the autoplt.) we were filed at the FL370 all lower altitudes were reporting moderate. Turbulence. Upon reaching FL370 I elected to engage the autoplt with automatic. Hold on and if it performed properly, to use it. I felt this would be a safe operation as I would then be fresh to shoot the approach. Rather hand fly the aircraft at cruise for 1 hour and 15 mins. And be worn out just prior to shooting an approach in marginal CAT I conditions, in an aircraft I had not flown for 8 months. The autoplt performed normally, the descent and landing were hand flown to a normal touchdown. Technically I probably should not have used an item maintenance had placarded as inoperative. But under the circumstances, I felt this was the best alternative and the safest operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC RPT ON THE USE OF ACFT EQUIP OPERATIONAL PROCS WHEN LOG BOOK REFEREED TO THE ITEM IN USE AS 'INOP.'

Narrative: I AM A 737 PLT FOR AN AIRLINE. ALL OF OUR 737'S EXCEPT FOR 6 ARE THE ADVANCED 737-200 WITH MODE CTL PANEL, 2 AUTOPLTS AND AUTO-THROTTLES ON THE 737-300. BOTH THESE TYPE ARE CAT III CERTIFIED. THE OTHER 6 ODDBALLS ARE THE OLDER VERSION OF THE 737-200, 1 AUTOPLT, (NO ALT CAPTURE FEATURE, CTL WHEEL STEERING ONLY, AND NO AUTOTHROTTLES, AND ONLY 1 FLT DIRECTOR CONTROL PANEL). WE MIGHT HAVE TO FLY ONE OF THESE ACFT ONCE EVERY 6 MONTHS. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, ON MY TRIP FROM OKC TO ATL ONE OF THESE ACFT SHOWED UP THE AUTOPLT PLACARDED INOP BECAUSE THE STABILIZER OUT OF TRIM LIGHT HAD COME ON DURING PREVIOUS LEG. THIS MEANT CAT I MIN'S ONLY. THE ATL WX WAS 2 MI OVCST FOG RVR 6000 FT WINDS 30 DEGS OFF RWY HDG, GUSTING TO 30 KTS. MARGINAL CAT I MINS. (OUR ABNORMAL PROCS FOR THE STABILIZER OUT OF TRIM LIGHT ARE TO DISENGAGE THE AUTOPLT, RE-RETRIM THE ACFT, THEN REENGAGE THE AUTOPLT.) WE WERE FILED AT THE FL370 ALL LOWER ALTS WERE RPTING MODERATE. TURB. UPON REACHING FL370 I ELECTED TO ENGAGE THE AUTOPLT WITH AUTO. HOLD ON AND IF IT PERFORMED PROPERLY, TO USE IT. I FELT THIS WOULD BE A SAFE OP AS I WOULD THEN BE FRESH TO SHOOT THE APCH. RATHER HAND FLY THE ACFT AT CRUISE FOR 1 HR AND 15 MINS. AND BE WORN OUT JUST PRIOR TO SHOOTING AN APCH IN MARGINAL CAT I CONDITIONS, IN AN ACFT I HAD NOT FLOWN FOR 8 MONTHS. THE AUTOPLT PERFORMED NORMALLY, THE DSCNT AND LNDG WERE HAND FLOWN TO A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN. TECHNICALLY I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE USED AN ITEM MAINT HAD PLACARDED AS INOP. BUT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I FELT THIS WAS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE AND THE SAFEST OP.

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.