Narrative:

The first officer and I were starting the first leg of a 3 day rotation, from jfk to mco. We had not flown together previously. The inbound crew had flown the airplane all day (approximately 6 legs) and said they had written up the automatic brakes rejected takeoff mode on the first leg and crew placarded it. The first officer reviewed the logbook and noted that the previous crew's write-up had been ok'd by the maintenance coordinator and dispatcher as per company procedure. He also reviewed the MEL and noted the restrs for automatic brakes rejected takeoff mode inoperative. Upon arrival in mco, maintenance noticed that the automatic brakes rejected takeoff mode is one of those items that cannot be crew placarded. I then checked the MEL and he was correct. In short, the airplane had flown all day with a crew placard that was not authority/authorized by the MEL. Maintenance subsequently placarded the item correctly and we departed uneventfully for ord. Contributing factors: my failure to check the MEL after the first officer reviewed it. Quite possibly I could have caught the error in jfk and had it rectified. The previous crew for also misreading the MEL and applying a crew placard. The maintenance coordinator and dispatcher for concurring with the previous crew's interpretation of the MEL and authorizing the crew placard. Prevent future mishaps by: simply take the time to review the MEL together with the first officer at the expense of other duties, even if it results in a delay.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISINTERP OF THE MEL.

Narrative: THE FO AND I WERE STARTING THE FIRST LEG OF A 3 DAY ROTATION, FROM JFK TO MCO. WE HAD NOT FLOWN TOGETHER PREVIOUSLY. THE INBOUND CREW HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE ALL DAY (APPROX 6 LEGS) AND SAID THEY HAD WRITTEN UP THE AUTO BRAKES RTO MODE ON THE FIRST LEG AND CREW PLACARDED IT. THE FO REVIEWED THE LOGBOOK AND NOTED THAT THE PREVIOUS CREW'S WRITE-UP HAD BEEN OK'D BY THE MAINT COORDINATOR AND DISPATCHER AS PER COMPANY PROC. HE ALSO REVIEWED THE MEL AND NOTED THE RESTRS FOR AUTO BRAKES RTO MODE INOP. UPON ARR IN MCO, MAINT NOTICED THAT THE AUTO BRAKES RTO MODE IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT CANNOT BE CREW PLACARDED. I THEN CHKED THE MEL AND HE WAS CORRECT. IN SHORT, THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN ALL DAY WITH A CREW PLACARD THAT WAS NOT AUTH BY THE MEL. MAINT SUBSEQUENTLY PLACARDED THE ITEM CORRECTLY AND WE DEPARTED UNEVENTFULLY FOR ORD. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MY FAILURE TO CHK THE MEL AFTER THE FO REVIEWED IT. QUITE POSSIBLY I COULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR IN JFK AND HAD IT RECTIFIED. THE PREVIOUS CREW FOR ALSO MISREADING THE MEL AND APPLYING A CREW PLACARD. THE MAINT COORDINATOR AND DISPATCHER FOR CONCURRING WITH THE PREVIOUS CREW'S INTERPRETATION OF THE MEL AND AUTHORIZING THE CREW PLACARD. PREVENT FUTURE MISHAPS BY: SIMPLY TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW THE MEL TOGETHER WITH THE FO AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER DUTIES, EVEN IF IT RESULTS IN A DELAY.

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.