Large transport was dispatched with 2 items MEL'ed.

Attributes
ACN	343890
Time
Date	199608
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 350 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	343890
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft was received with 2 MEL's -- 1 for autoplt #2 inoperative, 1 for autothrust #2 inoperative. Aircraft was flown 1 leg to main hub. On preflight, first officer had 'set off-side rng/mode' displayed on navigation display. Could not resolve by circuit breaker reset. Maintenance was called and bite check showed #2 FMGC inoperative. FMGC's may not be MEL'ed. #2 FMGC replaced and #2 autoplt and #2 autothrust restored. It is my opinion that maintenance opted to consider autoplt and autothrust malfunctions as separate, unrelated problems, each of which individually could be placed on MEL, allowing aircraft to continue in service, when in fact the aircraft should have been grounded pending replacement of #2 FMGC. I believe maintenance is under extreme pressure to keep airplanes in the air.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT WAS DISPATCHED WITH 2 ITEMS MEL'ED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS RECEIVED WITH 2 MEL'S -- 1 FOR AUTOPLT #2 INOP, 1 FOR AUTOTHRUST #2 INOP. ACFT WAS FLOWN 1 LEG TO MAIN HUB. ON PREFLT, FO HAD 'SET OFF-SIDE RNG/MODE' DISPLAYED ON NAV DISPLAY. COULD NOT RESOLVE BY CIRCUIT BREAKER RESET. MAINT WAS CALLED AND BITE CHK SHOWED #2 FMGC INOP. FMGC'S MAY NOT BE MEL'ED. #2 FMGC REPLACED AND #2 AUTOPLT AND #2 AUTOTHRUST RESTORED. IT IS MY OPINION THAT MAINT OPTED TO CONSIDER AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHRUST MALFUNCTIONS AS SEPARATE, UNRELATED PROBS, EACH OF WHICH INDIVIDUALLY COULD BE PLACED ON MEL, ALLOWING ACFT TO CONTINUE IN SVC, WHEN IN FACT THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GNDED PENDING REPLACEMENT OF #2 FMGC. I BELIEVE MAINT IS UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE TO KEEP AIRPLANES IN THE AIR.

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.