Flight crew failed to read the MEL.

Attributes
ACN	290917
Time
Date	199412
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sap
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tys
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	290917
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	292147
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

While starting #2 engine, start valve circuit breaker popped. Reset circuit breaker, after cooling period, and successfully started #2 engine. While starting #3 engine same circuit breaker popped again. Manual start valve operation abnormal procedure in operating manual was followed. Manual stated to make information-to-maintenance write-up in logbook. Having done this procedure before, I was familiar that it was flight crew placardable. Upon further review of MEL, in-flight, engine start valves are no longer crew placardable. Because of past experience with problem and operating manual stating to make information-to-maintenance write-up, I presumed we were ok to go without maintenance signoff in logbook. We should always investigate problem in MEL after abnormal procedure to double-check everything has been done.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FAILED TO READ THE MEL.

Narrative: WHILE STARTING #2 ENG, START VALVE CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. RESET CIRCUIT BREAKER, AFTER COOLING PERIOD, AND SUCCESSFULLY STARTED #2 ENG. WHILE STARTING #3 ENG SAME CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED AGAIN. MANUAL START VALVE OP ABNORMAL PROC IN OPERATING MANUAL WAS FOLLOWED. MANUAL STATED TO MAKE INFO-TO-MAINT WRITE-UP IN LOGBOOK. HAVING DONE THIS PROC BEFORE, I WAS FAMILIAR THAT IT WAS FLC PLACARDABLE. UPON FURTHER REVIEW OF MEL, INFLT, ENG START VALVES ARE NO LONGER CREW PLACARDABLE. BECAUSE OF PAST EXPERIENCE WITH PROB AND OPERATING MANUAL STATING TO MAKE INFO-TO-MAINT WRITE-UP, I PRESUMED WE WERE OK TO GO WITHOUT MAINT SIGNOFF IN LOGBOOK. WE SHOULD ALWAYS INVESTIGATE PROB IN MEL AFTER ABNORMAL PROC TO DOUBLE-CHK EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE.

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.