FK10 crew questioned legality of dispatch with MEL'ed inoperative multiple engine ignition.

Attributes
ACN	410984
Time
Date	199807
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : day
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	410984
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Unable to start #1 engine with #1 ignition system, nor the #2 engine. Both would start with #2 ignition system. Checked MEL and found it to be somewhat ambiguous as to legality of flight with this situation. I called the air carrier technical maintenance authority/authorized and was told this situation was legal and I could crew placard the #1 ignition system. Flying to dfw from day, I again checked the MEL and wasn't sure that this was legal. Upon arrival dfw, called flight operations technical department and was told that this was not legal. Maintenance was called and the #1 ignition system was repaired prior to further flight. Suggest wording in MEL be clarified for this and many other items.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FK10 CREW QUESTIONED LEGALITY OF DISPATCH WITH MEL'ED INOP MULTIPLE ENG IGNITION.

Narrative: UNABLE TO START #1 ENG WITH #1 IGNITION SYS, NOR THE #2 ENG. BOTH WOULD START WITH #2 IGNITION SYS. CHKED MEL AND FOUND IT TO BE SOMEWHAT AMBIGUOUS AS TO LEGALITY OF FLT WITH THIS SIT. I CALLED THE ACR TECHNICAL MAINT AUTH AND WAS TOLD THIS SIT WAS LEGAL AND I COULD CREW PLACARD THE #1 IGNITION SYS. FLYING TO DFW FROM DAY, I AGAIN CHKED THE MEL AND WASN'T SURE THAT THIS WAS LEGAL. UPON ARR DFW, CALLED FLT OPS TECHNICAL DEPT AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT LEGAL. MAINT WAS CALLED AND THE #1 IGNITION SYS WAS REPAIRED PRIOR TO FURTHER FLT. SUGGEST WORDING IN MEL BE CLARIFIED FOR THIS AND MANY OTHER ITEMS.

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.