The flight crew with company maintenance controller occurrence MEL'ed the CDI for the #1 VOR. Someon...

Attributes
ACN	323671
Time
Date	199512
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lft
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	323671
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During the preflight and cockpit inspection, the CDI of the #1 VOR was unable to be moved on the EFIS display. The #1 VOR receiver functioned properly on both the standby VOR and the EFIS display, with the exception of the CDI not moving on the EFIS. After entering the discrepancy in the maintenance log, and then consulting by phone with mr X, the maintenance controller on duty that morning, about the CDI on the EFIS, it was decided that the #1 VOR was deferrable. The flight operated that morning from lft to mem, where at that point my crew and I changed aircraft for the remainder of the trip. The aircraft was flown again that day by another crew, while still under the same deferral. It was not until 6 days later, that I was confronted and told that the #1 VOR was not legally deferrable. In addition to the #2 VOR, we also had ADF navigation, and the standby VOR which received, tested, and functioned correctly. Despite the sequence of events that brought us to that point, there was no intentional thoughts of ever moving the aircraft if the provisions were not there to do so.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC WITH COMPANY MAINT CTLR OCCURRENCE MEL'ED THE CDI FOR THE #1 VOR. SOMEONE TOLD THE RPTR THE VOR COULD NOT BE LEGALLY MEL'ED.

Narrative: DURING THE PREFLT AND COCKPIT INSPECTION, THE CDI OF THE #1 VOR WAS UNABLE TO BE MOVED ON THE EFIS DISPLAY. THE #1 VOR RECEIVER FUNCTIONED PROPERLY ON BOTH THE STANDBY VOR AND THE EFIS DISPLAY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CDI NOT MOVING ON THE EFIS. AFTER ENTERING THE DISCREPANCY IN THE MAINT LOG, AND THEN CONSULTING BY PHONE WITH MR X, THE MAINT CTLR ON DUTY THAT MORNING, ABOUT THE CDI ON THE EFIS, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE #1 VOR WAS DEFERRABLE. THE FLT OPERATED THAT MORNING FROM LFT TO MEM, WHERE AT THAT POINT MY CREW AND I CHANGED ACFT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN AGAIN THAT DAY BY ANOTHER CREW, WHILE STILL UNDER THE SAME DEFERRAL. IT WAS NOT UNTIL 6 DAYS LATER, THAT I WAS CONFRONTED AND TOLD THAT THE #1 VOR WAS NOT LEGALLY DEFERRABLE. IN ADDITION TO THE #2 VOR, WE ALSO HAD ADF NAV, AND THE STANDBY VOR WHICH RECEIVED, TESTED, AND FUNCTIONED CORRECTLY. DESPITE THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT BROUGHT US TO THAT POINT, THERE WAS NO INTENTIONAL THOUGHTS OF EVER MOVING THE ACFT IF THE PROVISIONS WERE NOT THERE TO DO SO.

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.

The flight crew with company maintenance controller occurrence MEL'ed the CDI for the #1 VOR. Someone told the reporter the VOR could not be legally MEL'ed.