Reporter believes he may have flown the aircraft in contravention of MEL.

Attributes
ACN	297246
Time
Date	199502
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	297246
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 : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On preflight I noted an open item in the aircraft logbook. The malfunction was signed off from a previous flight as 'deferred' for maintenance at a later time by our maintenance coordinator with reference to the MEL. The malfunction was an 'inoperative' cockpit chime notifying the pilots of a call from the aft cabin L-2 position on the interphone. Subsequently this was found to be a 'no go' item according to our MEL. I had not checked our MEL and believed that since our maintenance department had 'deferred' it, that it must meet our MEL requirement. Now, reading the MEL, I'm not sure if I would have known if it was a 'no go' item or not. The section covering this interphone chime is easily confused. It should be written more clearly. Before flight I had briefed our flight attendants about the call chime and told them our interphones would be turned on, so all they need to do is talk on the interphone and we would hear them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR BELIEVES HE MAY HAVE FLOWN THE ACFT IN CONTRAVENTION OF MEL.

Narrative: ON PREFLT I NOTED AN OPEN ITEM IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. THE MALFUNCTION WAS SIGNED OFF FROM A PREVIOUS FLT AS 'DEFERRED' FOR MAINT AT A LATER TIME BY OUR MAINT COORDINATOR WITH REF TO THE MEL. THE MALFUNCTION WAS AN 'INOPERATIVE' COCKPIT CHIME NOTIFYING THE PLTS OF A CALL FROM THE AFT CABIN L-2 POS ON THE INTERPHONE. SUBSEQUENTLY THIS WAS FOUND TO BE A 'NO GO' ITEM ACCORDING TO OUR MEL. I HAD NOT CHKED OUR MEL AND BELIEVED THAT SINCE OUR MAINT DEPT HAD 'DEFERRED' IT, THAT IT MUST MEET OUR MEL REQUIREMENT. NOW, READING THE MEL, I'M NOT SURE IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN IF IT WAS A 'NO GO' ITEM OR NOT. THE SECTION COVERING THIS INTERPHONE CHIME IS EASILY CONFUSED. IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN MORE CLRLY. BEFORE FLT I HAD BRIEFED OUR FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT THE CALL CHIME AND TOLD THEM OUR INTERPHONES WOULD BE TURNED ON, SO ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS TALK ON THE INTERPHONE AND WE WOULD HEAR THEM.

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.