Narrative:

It was recently brought to my attention that I flew an aircraft for which the maintenance log was not properly cleared. I believe that this resulted from a change in company MEL procedures of which I was not properly informed. The maintenance problem was that a red light in the gear handle was missing. This light comes on when the handle is in the down position and the gears are not fully locked down. Please note that on this aircraft there are 2 independent system each with its own indicator to indicate gear position. Additionally, any time you are below 500 ft AGL and descending and the gear are not down, a voice recording screams in the flight deck 'too low, gear.' for these reasons the red light in the handle is quite minor, some might say an anachronism. Until recently, for at least the last 14 yrs, the MEL procedures provided that, when a captain discovered a discrepancy at a non-maintenance base, he called maintenance control. Together with maintenance control he made a logbook entry, a placard on the front cover of the log can, and a placard was placed on the aircraft by the MEL item. Additionally, dispatch was notified and the release would indicate the MEL item. What was new and what I missed was that once the aircraft passed through a maintenance base, someone from maintenance was supposed to make a log can entry stating 'information noted.' the aircraft had been flying for the previous 2 days without those key words even though every other leg goes through a maintenance base 10 times a day. When I picked up the aircraft, my release showed this discrepancy. The log showed a cover entry and authority/authorized by maintenance the aircraft was correctly placarded.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT FAILED TO PROPERLY HAVE MAINT SIGN OFF CONFORMATION OF A MEL'D ACFT ITEM IN ACFT LOG.

Narrative: IT WAS RECENTLY BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT I FLEW AN ACFT FOR WHICH THE MAINT LOG WAS NOT PROPERLY CLRED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS RESULTED FROM A CHANGE IN COMPANY MEL PROCS OF WHICH I WAS NOT PROPERLY INFORMED. THE MAINT PROB WAS THAT A RED LIGHT IN THE GEAR HANDLE WAS MISSING. THIS LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THE HANDLE IS IN THE DOWN POS AND THE GEARS ARE NOT FULLY LOCKED DOWN. PLEASE NOTE THAT ON THIS ACFT THERE ARE 2 INDEPENDENT SYS EACH WITH ITS OWN INDICATOR TO INDICATE GEAR POS. ADDITIONALLY, ANY TIME YOU ARE BELOW 500 FT AGL AND DSNDING AND THE GEAR ARE NOT DOWN, A VOICE RECORDING SCREAMS IN THE FLT DECK 'TOO LOW, GEAR.' FOR THESE REASONS THE RED LIGHT IN THE HANDLE IS QUITE MINOR, SOME MIGHT SAY AN ANACHRONISM. UNTIL RECENTLY, FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 14 YRS, THE MEL PROCS PROVIDED THAT, WHEN A CAPT DISCOVERED A DISCREPANCY AT A NON-MAINT BASE, HE CALLED MAINT CTL. TOGETHER WITH MAINT CTL HE MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY, A PLACARD ON THE FRONT COVER OF THE LOG CAN, AND A PLACARD WAS PLACED ON THE ACFT BY THE MEL ITEM. ADDITIONALLY, DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED AND THE RELEASE WOULD INDICATE THE MEL ITEM. WHAT WAS NEW AND WHAT I MISSED WAS THAT ONCE THE ACFT PASSED THROUGH A MAINT BASE, SOMEONE FROM MAINT WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE A LOG CAN ENTRY STATING 'INFO NOTED.' THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLYING FOR THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS WITHOUT THOSE KEY WORDS EVEN THOUGH EVERY OTHER LEG GOES THROUGH A MAINT BASE 10 TIMES A DAY. WHEN I PICKED UP THE ACFT, MY RELEASE SHOWED THIS DISCREPANCY. THE LOG SHOWED A COVER ENTRY AND AUTH BY MAINT THE ACFT WAS CORRECTLY PLACARDED.

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.