Flight crew flew aircraft with expired MEL. Captain had been briefed by incoming flight crew regarding the logbook item and that it was about to expire. Reporter captain forgot. 2 days later the previous captain again alerted reporter of expired item.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	338980
Time
Date	199606
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	338980
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 6100 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	338974
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After the time limit on an MEL item had expired, aircraft was flown for 2 days. We received the aircraft from the previous crew and flew it 3 legs before we caught the fact that the time limit had expired. Several crews, several mechanics and management all didn't realize it was out of time. Apparently there is no system in place at our airline to track such items. Supplemental information from acn 338974: the captain who flew the aircraft in advised my captain and myself of an MEL item that was due to expire tonight. My captain then checked the logbook for the aircraft and we went on our way. I did not look at the book myself. At our hub after our third leg the captain met up with the captain who originally wrote up the problem and he advised my captain that he thought he had written it up more than 3 days ago. We then checked the book again and realized we were in fact out of time and immediately grounded the aircraft until the problem was repaired.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FLEW ACFT WITH EXPIRED MEL. CAPT HAD BEEN BRIEFED BY INCOMING FLC REGARDING THE LOGBOOK ITEM AND THAT IT WAS ABOUT TO EXPIRE. RPTR CAPT FORGOT. 2 DAYS LATER THE PREVIOUS CAPT AGAIN ALERTED RPTR OF EXPIRED ITEM.

Narrative: AFTER THE TIME LIMIT ON AN MEL ITEM HAD EXPIRED, ACFT WAS FLOWN FOR 2 DAYS. WE RECEIVED THE ACFT FROM THE PREVIOUS CREW AND FLEW IT 3 LEGS BEFORE WE CAUGHT THE FACT THAT THE TIME LIMIT HAD EXPIRED. SEVERAL CREWS, SEVERAL MECHS AND MGMNT ALL DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS OUT OF TIME. APPARENTLY THERE IS NO SYS IN PLACE AT OUR AIRLINE TO TRACK SUCH ITEMS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 338974: THE CAPT WHO FLEW THE ACFT IN ADVISED MY CAPT AND MYSELF OF AN MEL ITEM THAT WAS DUE TO EXPIRE TONIGHT. MY CAPT THEN CHKED THE LOGBOOK FOR THE ACFT AND WE WENT ON OUR WAY. I DID NOT LOOK AT THE BOOK MYSELF. AT OUR HUB AFTER OUR THIRD LEG THE CAPT MET UP WITH THE CAPT WHO ORIGINALLY WROTE UP THE PROB AND HE ADVISED MY CAPT THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD WRITTEN IT UP MORE THAN 3 DAYS AGO. WE THEN CHKED THE BOOK AGAIN AND REALIZED WE WERE IN FACT OUT OF TIME AND IMMEDIATELY GNDED THE ACFT UNTIL THE PROB WAS REPAIRED.

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.