Aircraft flies with inoperative hydraulic pump. Flight crew did not follow MEL restrs.

Attributes
ACN	298653
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fra
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	298653
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On taxi out, hydraulic pump was discovered to be malfunctioning, then we talked to maintenance. They had us disconnect 1 pump to be sure other was operative. We checked MEL and found we could not go. Maintenance assured us we were legal to do and as we had 3 hydraulic system plus another pump plus electric pumps in the system. We felt we had enough back-up. Upon landing vienna we were told it was not legal to leave frankfurt as the pump should have been replaced. Maintenance supervisor met us the next day and apologized saying he would take the blame and said it was his fault. In a doubt I will now insist on going back.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FLIES WITH INOP HYD PUMP. FLC DID NOT FOLLOW MEL RESTRS.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT, HYD PUMP WAS DISCOVERED TO BE MALFUNCTIONING, THEN WE TALKED TO MAINT. THEY HAD US DISCONNECT 1 PUMP TO BE SURE OTHER WAS OPERATIVE. WE CHKED MEL AND FOUND WE COULD NOT GO. MAINT ASSURED US WE WERE LEGAL TO DO AND AS WE HAD 3 HYD SYS PLUS ANOTHER PUMP PLUS ELECTRIC PUMPS IN THE SYS. WE FELT WE HAD ENOUGH BACK-UP. UPON LNDG VIENNA WE WERE TOLD IT WAS NOT LEGAL TO LEAVE FRANKFURT AS THE PUMP SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. MAINT SUPVR MET US THE NEXT DAY AND APOLOGIZED SAYING HE WOULD TAKE THE BLAME AND SAID IT WAS HIS FAULT. IN A DOUBT I WILL NOW INSIST ON GOING BACK.

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.