So report regarding an improperly deferred EPR gauge. It should have been repaired within 3 days and...

Attributes
ACN	413320
Time
Date	199809
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
ASRS Report	413320
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far 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:

During originating preflight inspection, noticed #3 engine EPR gauge inoperative. Gauge was originally written up on aug/xa/98 and had been deferred since then (5 days) per MEL. Checked MEL and found it was a category a item, which states 'operations are limited to not more than 3 flight days before repair is made.' at that point I questioned maintenance as to how this aircraft was legal to fly given the fact write-up was entered on aug/zz/98 and it was now sep/yd/98. I was told by maintenance that I was misinterping MEL and that the aircraft could operate until XA00 sep/yd/98, with #3 EPR gauge inoperative. The captain assumed maintenance was correct and flew aircraft to bos. After further review of MEL, I was still concerned that the aircraft was not in compliance with MEL. I telephoned the director of operations from bos to express my concern. Director of operations conferred with maintenance and technical control and ruled that aircraft could fly until XA00. I immediately filed a line pilot report with chief pilot. 4 days later, the chief pilot informed me that my interpretation was correct and that aircraft should have been repaired before.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SO RPT REGARDING AN IMPROPERLY DEFERRED EPR GAUGE. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED WITHIN 3 DAYS AND WAS STILL FLYING AT 5 DAYS AFTER THE DEFERRAL.

Narrative: DURING ORIGINATING PREFLT INSPECTION, NOTICED #3 ENG EPR GAUGE INOP. GAUGE WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN UP ON AUG/XA/98 AND HAD BEEN DEFERRED SINCE THEN (5 DAYS) PER MEL. CHKED MEL AND FOUND IT WAS A CATEGORY A ITEM, WHICH STATES 'OPS ARE LIMITED TO NOT MORE THAN 3 FLT DAYS BEFORE REPAIR IS MADE.' AT THAT POINT I QUESTIONED MAINT AS TO HOW THIS ACFT WAS LEGAL TO FLY GIVEN THE FACT WRITE-UP WAS ENTERED ON AUG/ZZ/98 AND IT WAS NOW SEP/YD/98. I WAS TOLD BY MAINT THAT I WAS MISINTERPING MEL AND THAT THE ACFT COULD OPERATE UNTIL XA00 SEP/YD/98, WITH #3 EPR GAUGE INOP. THE CAPT ASSUMED MAINT WAS CORRECT AND FLEW ACFT TO BOS. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW OF MEL, I WAS STILL CONCERNED THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH MEL. I TELEPHONED THE DIRECTOR OF OPS FROM BOS TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN. DIRECTOR OF OPS CONFERRED WITH MAINT AND TECHNICAL CTL AND RULED THAT ACFT COULD FLY UNTIL XA00. I IMMEDIATELY FILED A LINE PLT RPT WITH CHIEF PLT. 4 DAYS LATER, THE CHIEF PLT INFORMED ME THAT MY INTERP WAS CORRECT AND THAT ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE.

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.

So report regarding an improperly deferred EPR gauge. It should have been repaired within 3 days and was still flying at 5 days after the deferral.