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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A flight crew on a commercial fixed wing widebody transport aircraft questioned the MEL dispatch requirements on inoperative engine reversers. #2 engine reverser deferred as inoperative and #1 engine blocker door removed. Still meets MEL requirements for dispatch.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 389907 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199712 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jfk |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 389907 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
#2 reverser was deactivated due to faulty reverser light. MEL requires 2 of 3 reverser system for dispatch. During preflight maintenance found a cracked reverser blocker door on the #1 engine and removed blocker door. Cdl (confign deviation list) allows 1 blocker door to be removed but instructs flight crew to use no more than 65% N1 during reverse operation. We accepted the aircraft after questioning maintenance as to whether this less than fully functional reverser met the MEL requirement of 2 reverser system and received their assurances that it did. We felt that there was no compromise of safety in this particular flight as the aircraft was relatively light, and both departure and arrival runways were long and dry.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A FLC ON A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING WDB ACFT QUESTIONED THE MEL DISPATCH REQUIREMENTS ON INOP ENG REVERSERS. #2 ENG REVERSER DEFERRED AS INOP AND #1 ENG BLOCKER DOOR REMOVED. STILL MEETS MEL REQUIREMENTS FOR DISPATCH.
Narrative: #2 REVERSER WAS DEACTIVATED DUE TO FAULTY REVERSER LIGHT. MEL REQUIRES 2 OF 3 REVERSER SYS FOR DISPATCH. DURING PREFLT MAINT FOUND A CRACKED REVERSER BLOCKER DOOR ON THE #1 ENG AND REMOVED BLOCKER DOOR. CDL (CONFIGN DEV LIST) ALLOWS 1 BLOCKER DOOR TO BE REMOVED BUT INSTRUCTS FLC TO USE NO MORE THAN 65% N1 DURING REVERSE OP. WE ACCEPTED THE ACFT AFTER QUESTIONING MAINT AS TO WHETHER THIS LESS THAN FULLY FUNCTIONAL REVERSER MET THE MEL REQUIREMENT OF 2 REVERSER SYS AND RECEIVED THEIR ASSURANCES THAT IT DID. WE FELT THAT THERE WAS NO COMPROMISE OF SAFETY IN THIS PARTICULAR FLT AS THE ACFT WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT, AND BOTH DEP AND ARR RWYS WERE LONG AND DRY.
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.