Air carrier PIC accepts aircraft with multiple MEL requirement deficiencies.

Attributes
ACN	266852
Time
Date	199403
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
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 pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 20350 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	266852
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
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	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

The aircraft, a B-757, was released to me with the APU inoperative and also the right pneumatic duct pressure gauge inoperative. The APU inoperative made it necessary to start the right engine at the gate, then xbleed start the left engine after pushback. The previous crew had noted in the aircraft logbook 'right duct pressure gauge appears to function normally.' maintenance asked me to evaluate it on our flts from pit-lga-clt-pit. It did in fact function normally, however, I'm not certain that I was legal to accept the aircraft and start engines with the duct pressure gauge on MEL. There was no legal way for me to measure duct pressure without going to the maintenance status page on the EICAS, which isn't a procedure pilots normally utilize. The fact that destination WX was at minimums and runway conditions were icy, and passenger bookings were full and then some were all items of concern. I did what I had to do to operate the flight safely. Having multiple, unrelated items on MEL was dealt with, but it may not have been legal, since that particular combination of malfunctions is not covered in our training or manuals.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC ACCEPTS ACFT WITH MULTIPLE MEL REQUIREMENT DEFICIENCIES.

Narrative: THE ACFT, A B-757, WAS RELEASED TO ME WITH THE APU INOP AND ALSO THE R PNEUMATIC DUCT PRESSURE GAUGE INOP. THE APU INOP MADE IT NECESSARY TO START THE R ENG AT THE GATE, THEN XBLEED START THE L ENG AFTER PUSHBACK. THE PREVIOUS CREW HAD NOTED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK 'R DUCT PRESSURE GAUGE APPEARS TO FUNCTION NORMALLY.' MAINT ASKED ME TO EVALUATE IT ON OUR FLTS FROM PIT-LGA-CLT-PIT. IT DID IN FACT FUNCTION NORMALLY, HOWEVER, I'M NOT CERTAIN THAT I WAS LEGAL TO ACCEPT THE ACFT AND START ENGS WITH THE DUCT PRESSURE GAUGE ON MEL. THERE WAS NO LEGAL WAY FOR ME TO MEASURE DUCT PRESSURE WITHOUT GOING TO THE MAINT STATUS PAGE ON THE EICAS, WHICH ISN'T A PROC PLTS NORMALLY UTILIZE. THE FACT THAT DEST WX WAS AT MINIMUMS AND RWY CONDITIONS WERE ICY, AND PAX BOOKINGS WERE FULL AND THEN SOME WERE ALL ITEMS OF CONCERN. I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO TO OPERATE THE FLT SAFELY. HAVING MULTIPLE, UNRELATED ITEMS ON MEL WAS DEALT WITH, BUT IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN LEGAL, SINCE THAT PARTICULAR COMBINATION OF MALFUNCTIONS IS NOT COVERED IN OUR TRAINING OR MANUALS.

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.