MEL requirement -- air carrier accepted an improperly signed off aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	297819
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
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	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	297819
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The aircraft had mco concerning #2 engine compressor stall at altitude. Aircraft was signed off by maintenance in atl and placed on an mco with reference to compressor stall but no MEL reference. I checked our pilots operating manual and felt we were in compliance. I could find no reference in our MEL to this particular problem. Flight was made atl-srq-atl with no problem. The next crew refused the aircraft as not airworthy. In my opinion I followed all of the airline procedures in flying an aircraft that had been properly cleared for flight by our airlines maintenance!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEL REQUIREMENT -- ACR ACCEPTED AN IMPROPERLY SIGNED OFF ACFT.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD MCO CONCERNING #2 ENG COMPRESSOR STALL AT ALT. ACFT WAS SIGNED OFF BY MAINT IN ATL AND PLACED ON AN MCO WITH REF TO COMPRESSOR STALL BUT NO MEL REF. I CHKED OUR PLTS OPERATING MANUAL AND FELT WE WERE IN COMPLIANCE. I COULD FIND NO REF IN OUR MEL TO THIS PARTICULAR PROB. FLT WAS MADE ATL-SRQ-ATL WITH NO PROB. THE NEXT CREW REFUSED THE ACFT AS NOT AIRWORTHY. IN MY OPINION I FOLLOWED ALL OF THE AIRLINE PROCS IN FLYING AN ACFT THAT HAD BEEN PROPERLY CLRED FOR FLT BY OUR AIRLINES MAINT!

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.