Narrative:

On jan/xx/95 a flight was dispatched with emergency locator transmitter (clt) on placard. It was an oversight on my behalf. An ELT is required for flts rted more than 50 NM off shore. Route on jan/xx/95 was gls A766 alard UA766, etc. Supplemental information from acn 294503: aircraft was dispatched over water with emergency locator beacon inoperative. I did not catch the significance until on the return trip the next day. With only 1 ELT, the aircraft is prohibited from overwater flight with the ELT inoperative. I was distracted by 2 factors: additional placards/problems with the aircraft, and late arrival of paperwork at aircraft. Language barrier and foreign/international operations complicated situation. Supplemental information from acn 294697: on jan/xx.95 I received a phone call from an iah mechanic requesting a placard for an inoperative equipment cooling light in normal mode. I asked him if the alternate system fan and light were working, he told me it was operating normally. I then issued him a placard control number that the equipment fan cooling light was inoperative per MEL which states that 1 system can be inoperative -- except for emergency operations. 1 week later, on jan/xx/95 I was advised by my manager that I issued an illegal placard, because the logbook entry stated that when the system was switched to alternate the light continued to flicker on and off. As I stated above I was told that the alternate system was ok and I did not know what the logbook entry was until a week later. To resolve this matter in the future I will add a statement to the placards that I issue that the alternate system is ok so as not to be contradicted by a log entry that I have no control of.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER MEL RELEASE -- ACFT DISPATCHED WITH THE EQUIP COOLING SYS INOP AND OVERWATER WITH THE ELT INOP.

Narrative: ON JAN/XX/95 A FLT WAS DISPATCHED WITH EMER LOCATOR XMITTER (CLT) ON PLACARD. IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT ON MY BEHALF. AN ELT IS REQUIRED FOR FLTS RTED MORE THAN 50 NM OFF SHORE. RTE ON JAN/XX/95 WAS GLS A766 ALARD UA766, ETC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294503: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED OVER WATER WITH EMER LOCATOR BEACON INOP. I DID NOT CATCH THE SIGNIFICANCE UNTIL ON THE RETURN TRIP THE NEXT DAY. WITH ONLY 1 ELT, THE ACFT IS PROHIBITED FROM OVERWATER FLT WITH THE ELT INOP. I WAS DISTRACTED BY 2 FACTORS: ADDITIONAL PLACARDS/PROBS WITH THE ACFT, AND LATE ARR OF PAPERWORK AT ACFT. LANGUAGE BARRIER AND FOREIGN/INTL OPS COMPLICATED SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294697: ON JAN/XX.95 I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM AN IAH MECH REQUESTING A PLACARD FOR AN INOP EQUIP COOLING LIGHT IN NORMAL MODE. I ASKED HIM IF THE ALTERNATE SYS FAN AND LIGHT WERE WORKING, HE TOLD ME IT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. I THEN ISSUED HIM A PLACARD CTL NUMBER THAT THE EQUIP FAN COOLING LIGHT WAS INOP PER MEL WHICH STATES THAT 1 SYS CAN BE INOP -- EXCEPT FOR EMER OPS. 1 WK LATER, ON JAN/XX/95 I WAS ADVISED BY MY MGR THAT I ISSUED AN ILLEGAL PLACARD, BECAUSE THE LOGBOOK ENTRY STATED THAT WHEN THE SYS WAS SWITCHED TO ALTERNATE THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO FLICKER ON AND OFF. AS I STATED ABOVE I WAS TOLD THAT THE ALTERNATE SYS WAS OK AND I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS UNTIL A WK LATER. TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER IN THE FUTURE I WILL ADD A STATEMENT TO THE PLACARDS THAT I ISSUE THAT THE ALTERNATE SYS IS OK SO AS NOT TO BE CONTRADICTED BY A LOG ENTRY THAT I HAVE NO CTL OF.

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.