Narrative:

After my walkaround, I entered the cockpit. The captain told me that we had an open MEL on the yaw damper. He stated it was no problem and that the yaw damper would be off. I did not personally check the MEL to verify this. After flying from mci to dsm and back to mci, we were at the gate when an FAA maintenance inspector boarded the aircraft for our flight from mci-den. During my preflight, the inspector showed me the MEL which stated the yaw damper circuit breakers were supposed to be pulled and collared. He asked me to look at them and asked, 'are they pulled and collared?' I answered, 'no they are not.' the captain then called for maintenance to come out and collar the circuit breakers. We then flew to den. I was unaware of the MEL because our dispatch release arrived at the aircraft late, and I did not preflight the yaw damper. Since the captain began discussing it immediately upon my entry into the cockpit, I felt that he had thoroughly reviewed the logbook and MEL. This captain has a reputation for being thorough and knowledgeable and I felt comfortable with not actually pulling out the MEL and delaying preflight. Lesson learned: always review the MEL and logbook myself. Use the crew concept to head off this kind of mistake. Don't fly 'solo' or let the captain get us both in a situation that could have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 FLC FAILS TO INSURE THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE MEL ARE CARRIED OUT. YAW DAMPER MEL'ED WITHOUT HAVING THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS 'COLLARED' BY MAINT PERSONNEL. A VISITING ACI CAUGHT THIS ERROR.

Narrative: AFTER MY WALKAROUND, I ENTERED THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT TOLD ME THAT WE HAD AN OPEN MEL ON THE YAW DAMPER. HE STATED IT WAS NO PROB AND THAT THE YAW DAMPER WOULD BE OFF. I DID NOT PERSONALLY CHK THE MEL TO VERIFY THIS. AFTER FLYING FROM MCI TO DSM AND BACK TO MCI, WE WERE AT THE GATE WHEN AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR BOARDED THE ACFT FOR OUR FLT FROM MCI-DEN. DURING MY PREFLT, THE INSPECTOR SHOWED ME THE MEL WHICH STATED THE YAW DAMPER CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PULLED AND COLLARED. HE ASKED ME TO LOOK AT THEM AND ASKED, 'ARE THEY PULLED AND COLLARED?' I ANSWERED, 'NO THEY ARE NOT.' THE CAPT THEN CALLED FOR MAINT TO COME OUT AND COLLAR THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. WE THEN FLEW TO DEN. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE MEL BECAUSE OUR DISPATCH RELEASE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT LATE, AND I DID NOT PREFLT THE YAW DAMPER. SINCE THE CAPT BEGAN DISCUSSING IT IMMEDIATELY UPON MY ENTRY INTO THE COCKPIT, I FELT THAT HE HAD THOROUGHLY REVIEWED THE LOGBOOK AND MEL. THIS CAPT HAS A REPUTATION FOR BEING THOROUGH AND KNOWLEDGEABLE AND I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH NOT ACTUALLY PULLING OUT THE MEL AND DELAYING PREFLT. LESSON LEARNED: ALWAYS REVIEW THE MEL AND LOGBOOK MYSELF. USE THE CREW CONCEPT TO HEAD OFF THIS KIND OF MISTAKE. DON'T FLY 'SOLO' OR LET THE CAPT GET US BOTH IN A SIT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.