MD80 crew did not insure an MEL item was entered in aircraft records.

Attributes
ACN	409838
Time
Date	199807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 19500 flight time type : 9100
ASRS Report	409838
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Inbound flight captain wrote up rain repellent system as inoperative. Maintenance at pdx removed canister (beneath first officer work station/professional bag stowage), but spilled some fluid in the process. Passenger boarding was delayed until spill could be cleaned up and fumes dissipated. With the concern over possible resultant residual fumes and proper maintenance log documentation, we completely forgot to amend our dispatch release for the now MEL'ed rain repellent system until realizing it at cruise. Unfortunately, our company has no procedure to always ensure that an amended release is obtained prior to takeoff, leaving it to the flight crew to remember much of the time. I will redouble my efforts with the checklist and visual cue reminders to ensure maintenance log agrees with release.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW DID NOT INSURE AN MEL ITEM WAS ENTERED IN ACFT RECORDS.

Narrative: INBOUND FLT CAPT WROTE UP RAIN REPELLENT SYS AS INOP. MAINT AT PDX REMOVED CANISTER (BENEATH FO WORK STATION/PROFESSIONAL BAG STOWAGE), BUT SPILLED SOME FLUID IN THE PROCESS. PAX BOARDING WAS DELAYED UNTIL SPILL COULD BE CLEANED UP AND FUMES DISSIPATED. WITH THE CONCERN OVER POSSIBLE RESULTANT RESIDUAL FUMES AND PROPER MAINT LOG DOCUMENTATION, WE COMPLETELY FORGOT TO AMEND OUR DISPATCH RELEASE FOR THE NOW MEL'ED RAIN REPELLENT SYS UNTIL REALIZING IT AT CRUISE. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR COMPANY HAS NO PROC TO ALWAYS ENSURE THAT AN AMENDED RELEASE IS OBTAINED PRIOR TO TKOF, LEAVING IT TO THE FLC TO REMEMBER MUCH OF THE TIME. I WILL REDOUBLE MY EFFORTS WITH THE CHKLIST AND VISUAL CUE REMINDERS TO ENSURE MAINT LOG AGREES WITH RELEASE.

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.