Narrative:

On the walkaround in preparation for our flight from pit to roa the first officer found blue lav fluid leaking from a drain just aft of the main wheelwell. It was discussed with maintenance personnel and entered into the logbook. Maintenance elected to put the aft lav on MEL, signed off the write-up and returned the logbook to the cockpit right at departure time announcing, 'ok, captain, you're set to go!' we confirmed the write-up had been signed off and pressed on to roa. En route we noted the extensive experience and expertise with the B737-200 available at the roa maintenance facility and decided to have them double-check the leak and the lav upon arrival. During this exercise we discovered, after reviewing the MEL, that there was a special procedure associated with this MEL that had not been complied with. The maintenance specialist in roa then verified the completion of the special procedure and the aircraft continued on. The moral of the story, however, is expedience (receiving the logbook at departure time) does not relieve us of the responsibility to pull out and review the MEL manual to insure all requirements, limitations and special procedures are complied with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A LEAKING AFT LAVATORY DEFERRED, BUT WITHOUT THE MEL SPECIAL PROCS BEING ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: ON THE WALKAROUND IN PREPARATION FOR OUR FLT FROM PIT TO ROA THE FO FOUND BLUE LAV FLUID LEAKING FROM A DRAIN JUST AFT OF THE MAIN WHEELWELL. IT WAS DISCUSSED WITH MAINT PERSONNEL AND ENTERED INTO THE LOGBOOK. MAINT ELECTED TO PUT THE AFT LAV ON MEL, SIGNED OFF THE WRITE-UP AND RETURNED THE LOGBOOK TO THE COCKPIT RIGHT AT DEP TIME ANNOUNCING, 'OK, CAPT, YOU'RE SET TO GO!' WE CONFIRMED THE WRITE-UP HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF AND PRESSED ON TO ROA. ENRTE WE NOTED THE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE WITH THE B737-200 AVAILABLE AT THE ROA MAINT FACILITY AND DECIDED TO HAVE THEM DOUBLE-CHK THE LEAK AND THE LAV UPON ARR. DURING THIS EXERCISE WE DISCOVERED, AFTER REVIEWING THE MEL, THAT THERE WAS A SPECIAL PROC ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MEL THAT HAD NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH. THE MAINT SPECIALIST IN ROA THEN VERIFIED THE COMPLETION OF THE SPECIAL PROC AND THE ACFT CONTINUED ON. THE MORAL OF THE STORY, HOWEVER, IS EXPEDIENCE (RECEIVING THE LOGBOOK AT DEP TIME) DOES NOT RELIEVE US OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PULL OUT AND REVIEW THE MEL MANUAL TO INSURE ALL REQUIREMENTS, LIMITATIONS AND SPECIAL PROCS ARE COMPLIED WITH.

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.