Narrative:

When doing recall during taxi flow and checklist we noted a left alpha vane light illuminated and also an intermittent stick shaker on the captain's side. After checking circuit breakers, we called maintenance control for help. We pulled and reset several circuit breakers, but condition remained. We then returned to the gate and after block-in, I opened my window to discover our alpha vane had been broken off by the jetway prior to our original departure. I informed our maintenance controller and the line mechanics of the problem. The line mechanics said they figured we could MEL the left stall warning system and be on our way. I talked to our maintenance controller and was told we could indeed MEL the left stall warning system and the GPWS (windshear warning). The mechanic signed off our logbook and I entered a delayed placard installation in reference to the MEL for the stall warning and GPWS. We departed ewr for cmh and during leveloff the autothrottles didn't reduce the power from the climb setting. We called to inform them of the situation, then during descent flow we got an autoslat fail light. When we blocked in at cmh a technician came on board and informed us that we should also have had several other mels for our given problem. MEL AAAA angle of attack sensor, MEL BBBB autothrottle, MEL CCCC speed bug command, MEL DDDD autoslat, and MEL EEEE left angle of attack heat in addition to the mels already in place. While discussing the problem with the cmh technician he informed the first officer and I that a similar incident happened a couple of weeks earlier. An aircraft had experienced the loss of an alpha vane en route to cmh and maintenance control tried to have them MEL just the stall warning and GPWS. The cmh technician convinced them that they needed the other mels also. It seems to me that a problem exists in maintenance control that has yet to be rectified. In summary, the problem started with a careless jetway operator in ewr and was further complicated by improper MEL application. In addition the proper MEL AAAA was extremely hard to find as it is located under the autoflt section of the table of contents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 FLC HAD THE L STALL WARNING VANE BROKEN OFF BY THE JETWAY OPERATOR. THIS WAS DISCOVERED DURING TAXI OUT AND THE FLC RETURNED FOR MAINT, BUT THE MAINT TECHNICIANS IMPROPERLY USED THE MEL TO KEEP THE ACFT IN SVC.

Narrative: WHEN DOING RECALL DURING TAXI FLOW AND CHKLIST WE NOTED A L ALPHA VANE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND ALSO AN INTERMITTENT STICK SHAKER ON THE CAPT'S SIDE. AFTER CHKING CIRCUIT BREAKERS, WE CALLED MAINT CTL FOR HELP. WE PULLED AND RESET SEVERAL CIRCUIT BREAKERS, BUT CONDITION REMAINED. WE THEN RETURNED TO THE GATE AND AFTER BLOCK-IN, I OPENED MY WINDOW TO DISCOVER OUR ALPHA VANE HAD BEEN BROKEN OFF BY THE JETWAY PRIOR TO OUR ORIGINAL DEP. I INFORMED OUR MAINT CTLR AND THE LINE MECHS OF THE PROB. THE LINE MECHS SAID THEY FIGURED WE COULD MEL THE L STALL WARNING SYS AND BE ON OUR WAY. I TALKED TO OUR MAINT CTLR AND WAS TOLD WE COULD INDEED MEL THE L STALL WARNING SYS AND THE GPWS (WINDSHEAR WARNING). THE MECH SIGNED OFF OUR LOGBOOK AND I ENTERED A DELAYED PLACARD INSTALLATION IN REF TO THE MEL FOR THE STALL WARNING AND GPWS. WE DEPARTED EWR FOR CMH AND DURING LEVELOFF THE AUTOTHROTTLES DIDN'T REDUCE THE PWR FROM THE CLB SETTING. WE CALLED TO INFORM THEM OF THE SIT, THEN DURING DSCNT FLOW WE GOT AN AUTOSLAT FAIL LIGHT. WHEN WE BLOCKED IN AT CMH A TECHNICIAN CAME ON BOARD AND INFORMED US THAT WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE HAD SEVERAL OTHER MELS FOR OUR GIVEN PROB. MEL AAAA ANGLE OF ATTACK SENSOR, MEL BBBB AUTOTHROTTLE, MEL CCCC SPD BUG COMMAND, MEL DDDD AUTOSLAT, AND MEL EEEE L ANGLE OF ATTACK HEAT IN ADDITION TO THE MELS ALREADY IN PLACE. WHILE DISCUSSING THE PROB WITH THE CMH TECHNICIAN HE INFORMED THE FO AND I THAT A SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED A COUPLE OF WKS EARLIER. AN ACFT HAD EXPERIENCED THE LOSS OF AN ALPHA VANE ENRTE TO CMH AND MAINT CTL TRIED TO HAVE THEM MEL JUST THE STALL WARNING AND GPWS. THE CMH TECHNICIAN CONVINCED THEM THAT THEY NEEDED THE OTHER MELS ALSO. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A PROB EXISTS IN MAINT CTL THAT HAS YET TO BE RECTIFIED. IN SUMMARY, THE PROB STARTED WITH A CARELESS JETWAY OPERATOR IN EWR AND WAS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY IMPROPER MEL APPLICATION. IN ADDITION THE PROPER MEL AAAA WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO FIND AS IT IS LOCATED UNDER THE AUTOFLT SECTION OF THE TABLE OF CONTENTS.

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.