Narrative:

DC9 MEL 27-20 inboard ground spoiler system: the MEL for the DC9 at air carrier lists spoiler actuator and inboard ground spoilers. On preflight we had a ground spoiler panel stick up and would not come down unless hydraulic pressure was applied. Our check calls for the hydraulic press to be bled off and the panels come down. This was a repeat gripe on this airplane, but MEL 27-20 had not been used in the past to defer the problem and fly the airplane. We looked along with the mechanic if this spoiler panel was deferable. MEL 27-20 lists inboard ground system and no crew action or penalty of performance is listed. Maintenance control and the on-site mechanic conferred and decided to defer this left spoiler under MEL 27-20. He had some problem with locating a common plug to be disconnected and his action also left the hydraulic power to the inboard spoilers off. Since, on the DC9, the inboard flight spoilers and inboard ground spoilers are the same panel, and it was listed in the MEL as deferable we were okay to fly this airplane, we thought. After arriving at iln my chief pilot informed me that the MEL deferral that we used for the stuck spoiler panel was probably not legal because our DC9's do not have this specific system of 'inboard ground spoiler system' installed, and that by deferring the inboard spoiler the way we did, we disabled the inboard flight spoilers also and they are not deferrable in the MEL. I'm not a mechanic. We had an inboard spoiler panel sticking in the ground position 60 degrees up. We found similar verbiage in the MEL to what our problem was and it looked to me and maintenance that our problem was deferrable. No problems with flying the airplane ensued. To correct this problem a clearer description of what is an is not deferrable should be listed in the dc-9 MEL with regard to grounded flight spoilers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PUB DEFICIENCY ON DC-9-80 MEL REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: DC9 MEL 27-20 INBOARD GND SPOILER SYS: THE MEL FOR THE DC9 AT ACR LISTS SPOILER ACTUATOR AND INBOARD GND SPOILERS. ON PREFLT WE HAD A GND SPOILER PANEL STICK UP AND WOULD NOT COME DOWN UNLESS HYD PRESSURE WAS APPLIED. OUR CHK CALLS FOR THE HYD PRESS TO BE BLED OFF AND THE PANELS COME DOWN. THIS WAS A REPEAT GRIPE ON THIS AIRPLANE, BUT MEL 27-20 HAD NOT BEEN USED IN THE PAST TO DEFER THE PROB AND FLY THE AIRPLANE. WE LOOKED ALONG WITH THE MECH IF THIS SPOILER PANEL WAS DEFERABLE. MEL 27-20 LISTS INBOARD GND SYS AND NO CREW ACTION OR PENALTY OF PERFORMANCE IS LISTED. MAINT CTL AND THE ON-SITE MECH CONFERRED AND DECIDED TO DEFER THIS L SPOILER UNDER MEL 27-20. HE HAD SOME PROB WITH LOCATING A COMMON PLUG TO BE DISCONNECTED AND HIS ACTION ALSO LEFT THE HYD PWR TO THE INBOARD SPOILERS OFF. SINCE, ON THE DC9, THE INBOARD FLT SPOILERS AND INBOARD GND SPOILERS ARE THE SAME PANEL, AND IT WAS LISTED IN THE MEL AS DEFERABLE WE WERE OKAY TO FLY THIS AIRPLANE, WE THOUGHT. AFTER ARRIVING AT ILN MY CHIEF PLT INFORMED ME THAT THE MEL DEFERRAL THAT WE USED FOR THE STUCK SPOILER PANEL WAS PROBABLY NOT LEGAL BECAUSE OUR DC9'S DO NOT HAVE THIS SPECIFIC SYS OF 'INBOARD GND SPOILER SYS' INSTALLED, AND THAT BY DEFERRING THE INBOARD SPOILER THE WAY WE DID, WE DISABLED THE INBOARD FLT SPOILERS ALSO AND THEY ARE NOT DEFERRABLE IN THE MEL. I'M NOT A MECH. WE HAD AN INBOARD SPOILER PANEL STICKING IN THE GND POS 60 DEGS UP. WE FOUND SIMILAR VERBIAGE IN THE MEL TO WHAT OUR PROB WAS AND IT LOOKED TO ME AND MAINT THAT OUR PROB WAS DEFERRABLE. NO PROBS WITH FLYING THE AIRPLANE ENSUED. TO CORRECT THIS PROB A CLEARER DESCRIPTION OF WHAT IS AN IS NOT DEFERRABLE SHOULD BE LISTED IN THE DC-9 MEL WITH REGARD TO GNDED FLT SPOILERS.

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.