An airbus 310 was dispatched with the observer's audio control panel deferred and out of time for re...

Attributes
ACN	413549
Time
Date	199809
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A310
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	413549
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other oversight : supervisor
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On the morning of sep/xy/98 around XA00, I was assigned to relieve one of the mechanics working the air carrier contract for YYY airlines. The aircraft was aircraft xyz. A turnover was completed and myself and another YYY mechanic finished the layover check. Around XD00 on sep/xz/98 I called air carrier maintenance control in XXX to set an authority/authorized for deferring an item on the MEL from a logbook writeup that the inbound crew had written up. At no time during my conversation with XXX maintenance control was I informed that there was an open MEL item on the deferred log for an observer seat audio control panel that was about to run out of time. Also, I was never informed that parts were being sent to fix this problem. After the phone call, released the aircraft for service and the aircraft departed. After the aircraft departed XXX, maintenance control called and talked to my supervisor asking him if we had fixed the observer's seat audio control panel, and had we received a meter (telex) on parts being sent to fix the problem. To my knowledge and everyone on our end, no one had seen or heard of parts being sent to fix the audio control panel for the observer's seat, or that that MEL was about to run out of time on the morning of sep/xz/98. Thus, making the aircraft release questionable.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 310 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE OBSERVER'S AUDIO CTL PANEL DEFERRED AND OUT OF TIME FOR REPAIR.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF SEP/XY/98 AROUND XA00, I WAS ASSIGNED TO RELIEVE ONE OF THE MECHS WORKING THE ACR CONTRACT FOR YYY AIRLINES. THE ACFT WAS ACFT XYZ. A TURNOVER WAS COMPLETED AND MYSELF AND ANOTHER YYY MECH FINISHED THE LAYOVER CHK. AROUND XD00 ON SEP/XZ/98 I CALLED ACR MAINT CTL IN XXX TO SET AN AUTH FOR DEFERRING AN ITEM ON THE MEL FROM A LOGBOOK WRITEUP THAT THE INBOUND CREW HAD WRITTEN UP. AT NO TIME DURING MY CONVERSATION WITH XXX MAINT CTL WAS I INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN MEL ITEM ON THE DEFERRED LOG FOR AN OBSERVER SEAT AUDIO CTL PANEL THAT WAS ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF TIME. ALSO, I WAS NEVER INFORMED THAT PARTS WERE BEING SENT TO FIX THIS PROB. AFTER THE PHONE CALL, RELEASED THE ACFT FOR SVC AND THE ACFT DEPARTED. AFTER THE ACFT DEPARTED XXX, MAINT CTL CALLED AND TALKED TO MY SUPVR ASKING HIM IF WE HAD FIXED THE OBSERVER'S SEAT AUDIO CTL PANEL, AND HAD WE RECEIVED A METER (TELEX) ON PARTS BEING SENT TO FIX THE PROB. TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND EVERYONE ON OUR END, NO ONE HAD SEEN OR HEARD OF PARTS BEING SENT TO FIX THE AUDIO CTL PANEL FOR THE OBSERVER'S SEAT, OR THAT THAT MEL WAS ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF TIME ON THE MORNING OF SEP/XZ/98. THUS, MAKING THE ACFT RELEASE QUESTIONABLE.

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.

An airbus 310 was dispatched with the observer's audio control panel deferred and out of time for repair.