<< >> NASA ASRS Report 364420, March 1997

DC9-40 was dispatched with MEL reference cargo bin liner missing or damaged and no combustible material permitted in that bin. Advised later combustible cargo had been loaded in that bin.

Attributes
ACN	364420
Time
Date	199703
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 40
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 5100
ASRS Report	364420
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 22000
ASRS Report	364421
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

Aircraft released with MEL (cargo bin liner damaged or missing). Required that no combustibles be loaded. MEL was discussed by flight crew with all requirements met. There are no air crew operating procedures. Maintenance had complied with the MEL as well. The MEL is a 'boxed' item, meaning it must be on the release, which it was, and dispatch is required to notify load control, who notifies the station. Somewhere, this chain of communication broke down. We were advised 7 days later that combustibles were allegedly carried in the bin in question. Recommend the MEL wording be more specific, such as saying no item can be loaded in the bin unless it is non combustible, and require confirmation that the MEL has been complied with by having direct and specific conversation take place between the ramp agents and the flight crew. This should be added as a flight crew procedure. The load advice should also state the MEL has been complied with. Current load advice doesn't state which bins are loaded.

Related reports:

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-40 WAS DISPATCHED WITH MEL REF CARGO BIN LINER MISSING OR DAMAGED AND NO COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL PERMITTED IN THAT BIN. ADVISED LATER COMBUSTIBLE CARGO HAD BEEN LOADED IN THAT BIN.

Narrative: ACFT RELEASED WITH MEL (CARGO BIN LINER DAMAGED OR MISSING). REQUIRED THAT NO COMBUSTIBLES BE LOADED. MEL WAS DISCUSSED BY FLC WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS MET. THERE ARE NO AIR CREW OPERATING PROCS. MAINT HAD COMPLIED WITH THE MEL AS WELL. THE MEL IS A 'BOXED' ITEM, MEANING IT MUST BE ON THE RELEASE, WHICH IT WAS, AND DISPATCH IS REQUIRED TO NOTIFY LOAD CTL, WHO NOTIFIES THE STATION. SOMEWHERE, THIS CHAIN OF COM BROKE DOWN. WE WERE ADVISED 7 DAYS LATER THAT COMBUSTIBLES WERE ALLEGEDLY CARRIED IN THE BIN IN QUESTION. RECOMMEND THE MEL WORDING BE MORE SPECIFIC, SUCH AS SAYING NO ITEM CAN BE LOADED IN THE BIN UNLESS IT IS NON COMBUSTIBLE, AND REQUIRE CONFIRMATION THAT THE MEL HAS BEEN COMPLIED WITH BY HAVING DIRECT AND SPECIFIC CONVERSATION TAKE PLACE BTWN THE RAMP AGENTS AND THE FLC. THIS SHOULD BE ADDED AS A FLC PROC. THE LOAD ADVICE SHOULD ALSO STATE THE MEL HAS BEEN COMPLIED WITH. CURRENT LOAD ADVICE DOESN'T STATE WHICH BINS ARE LOADED.

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.