Air carrier B-747-400 departs airport with unknown engine control problem.

Attributes
ACN	269276
Time
Date	199404
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
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	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 77 flight time total : 10400 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	269276
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Other captain was flying first half of the flight. On start, the #1 engine had advisory 'engine control #1.' other captain thought it was no problem (I was in jump seat) and we departed. Later, I looked at the manual and decided I had been led into a false perception and, that it was probably not legal to depart with an advisory message. We have been having changes to how we treat status messages. We could depart if maintenance advised of status message, then it had to be cleared, and finally, we can now depart with status message displayed if they are clear before start. Complacency, tired, and someone else saying it's ok led me to think that it was ok. But, as I read the manual, it appears to be ok to depart with a status message, but not an advisory. However, it's ok to continue once airborne with an advisory message.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B-747-400 DEPARTS ARPT WITH UNKNOWN ENG CTL PROB.

Narrative: OTHER CAPT WAS FLYING FIRST HALF OF THE FLT. ON START, THE #1 ENG HAD ADVISORY 'ENG CTL #1.' OTHER CAPT THOUGHT IT WAS NO PROB (I WAS IN JUMP SEAT) AND WE DEPARTED. LATER, I LOOKED AT THE MANUAL AND DECIDED I HAD BEEN LED INTO A FALSE PERCEPTION AND, THAT IT WAS PROBABLY NOT LEGAL TO DEPART WITH AN ADVISORY MESSAGE. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING CHANGES TO HOW WE TREAT STATUS MESSAGES. WE COULD DEPART IF MAINT ADVISED OF STATUS MESSAGE, THEN IT HAD TO BE CLRED, AND FINALLY, WE CAN NOW DEPART WITH STATUS MESSAGE DISPLAYED IF THEY ARE CLR BEFORE START. COMPLACENCY, TIRED, AND SOMEONE ELSE SAYING IT'S OK LED ME TO THINK THAT IT WAS OK. BUT, AS I READ THE MANUAL, IT APPEARS TO BE OK TO DEPART WITH A STATUS MESSAGE, BUT NOT AN ADVISORY. HOWEVER, IT'S OK TO CONTINUE ONCE AIRBORNE WITH AN ADVISORY MESSAGE.

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.