DC9 has faulty EPR gauge which was incorrectly MEL'ed.

Attributes
ACN	317678
Time
Date	199510
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : det
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	317678
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

The fact that the company I work for is a start-up airline has contributed immensely to the problem. The company employs cost-cutting measures at all times, and I believe they do not employ the most qualified maintenance personnel. The president of the company yells at pilots/maintenance if flts are delayed, and this adds to the stress of trying to operate safely, on schedule. While I was performing a walkaround, the captain wrote up an EPR gauge on the #1 engine because it was frozen. When I came back up to the cockpit, maintenance had already done the sign off and was placing an 'inoperative' sticker on the EPR gauge. Even though the MEL did not have EPR gauges for DC9's listed, it did have EPR for the MD80 listed. The captain and maintenance assured me that this was an 'ok' airplane to fly, and we then flew back to our home base. Being an first officer, and also low time, contributed to this situation becoming a problem. If I cannot trust the captain or our maintenance workers, how can I on a daily basis take matters into my own hands? I believe that the airline industry needs to be regulated, and that start-up airlines in many cases run dangerous operations. If I didn't need the flight time, I would not be working for this carrier. Of course I hope to make it to a safer operator sometime in the near future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 HAS FAULTY EPR GAUGE WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY MEL'ED.

Narrative: THE FACT THAT THE COMPANY I WORK FOR IS A START-UP AIRLINE HAS CONTRIBUTED IMMENSELY TO THE PROB. THE COMPANY EMPLOYS COST-CUTTING MEASURES AT ALL TIMES, AND I BELIEVE THEY DO NOT EMPLOY THE MOST QUALIFIED MAINT PERSONNEL. THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY YELLS AT PLTS/MAINT IF FLTS ARE DELAYED, AND THIS ADDS TO THE STRESS OF TRYING TO OPERATE SAFELY, ON SCHEDULE. WHILE I WAS PERFORMING A WALKAROUND, THE CAPT WROTE UP AN EPR GAUGE ON THE #1 ENG BECAUSE IT WAS FROZEN. WHEN I CAME BACK UP TO THE COCKPIT, MAINT HAD ALREADY DONE THE SIGN OFF AND WAS PLACING AN 'INOP' STICKER ON THE EPR GAUGE. EVEN THOUGH THE MEL DID NOT HAVE EPR GAUGES FOR DC9'S LISTED, IT DID HAVE EPR FOR THE MD80 LISTED. THE CAPT AND MAINT ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS AN 'OK' AIRPLANE TO FLY, AND WE THEN FLEW BACK TO OUR HOME BASE. BEING AN FO, AND ALSO LOW TIME, CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT BECOMING A PROB. IF I CANNOT TRUST THE CAPT OR OUR MAINT WORKERS, HOW CAN I ON A DAILY BASIS TAKE MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS? I BELIEVE THAT THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO BE REGULATED, AND THAT START-UP AIRLINES IN MANY CASES RUN DANGEROUS OPS. IF I DIDN'T NEED THE FLT TIME, I WOULD NOT BE WORKING FOR THIS CARRIER. OF COURSE I HOPE TO MAKE IT TO A SAFER OPERATOR SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

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.