An air carrier flight crew departs with an erroneous dispatch release.

Attributes
ACN	325900
Time
Date	199601
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pdx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
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	325900
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Leg before occurrence a MEL item was added to release. The fifth leg included MEL verbiage and the correct MEL reference number, but verbiage was slightly incorrect. Verbiage referenced the associated valve which functioned normally, instead of the valve position indicator which was affected. Standardized verbiage and format on releases would help this situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a B737-200 on the day of this series of events. The aircraft had the right air conditioning pack air mix valve indicator inoperative. Each of the dispatch releases had the proper MEL number shown, but the written description varied and the last description omitted the word 'indicator.' this last statement would require different procedures, ie, valve versus indicator inoperative. The reporter said that he did not note the error until he was airborne. One of the problems the reporter mentioned in regard to the releases at his company is that the format is not standard. He said the wording is often based on the MEL or the FAA or the company formats, but the dispatcher often uses a degree of poetic license. This requires the pilot to search the text for information clues.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC DEPARTS WITH AN ERRONEOUS DISPATCH RELEASE.

Narrative: LEG BEFORE OCCURRENCE A MEL ITEM WAS ADDED TO RELEASE. THE FIFTH LEG INCLUDED MEL VERBIAGE AND THE CORRECT MEL REFERENCE NUMBER, BUT VERBIAGE WAS SLIGHTLY INCORRECT. VERBIAGE REFED THE ASSOCIATED VALVE WHICH FUNCTIONED NORMALLY, INSTEAD OF THE VALVE POSITION INDICATOR WHICH WAS AFFECTED. STANDARDIZED VERBIAGE AND FORMAT ON RELEASES WOULD HELP THIS SITUATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A B737-200 ON THE DAY OF THIS SERIES OF EVENTS. THE ACFT HAD THE R AIR CONDITIONING PACK AIR MIX VALVE INDICATOR INOP. EACH OF THE DISPATCH RELEASES HAD THE PROPER MEL NUMBER SHOWN, BUT THE WRITTEN DESCRIPTION VARIED AND THE LAST DESCRIPTION OMITTED THE WORD 'INDICATOR.' THIS LAST STATEMENT WOULD REQUIRE DIFFERENT PROCS, IE, VALVE VERSUS INDICATOR INOP. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE DID NOT NOTE THE ERROR UNTIL HE WAS AIRBORNE. ONE OF THE PROBS THE RPTR MENTIONED IN REGARD TO THE RELEASES AT HIS COMPANY IS THAT THE FORMAT IS NOT STANDARD. HE SAID THE WORDING IS OFTEN BASED ON THE MEL OR THE FAA OR THE COMPANY FORMATS, BUT THE DISPATCHER OFTEN USES A DEGREE OF POETIC LICENSE. THIS REQUIRES THE PLT TO SEARCH THE TEXT FOR INFO CLUES.

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.