Narrative:

Incorrectly interpreted leading edge flap/slat position indicator light procedure in MEL. Deferred item that was evidently not deferrable. Conferred with dispatch and other pilot. All in agreement as to ability to defer. Contributing factors: confusion due to name of procedure in MEL and unclr verbiage in that section. Company maintenance initially confused with discussion of problem at point of landing, but discovered error. Corrective action: may have caught error if I had got maintenance on radio. Cause/prevention: I think the problem was caused primarily by the wording of the MEL title and verbiage in that section. I should have read it more carefully and called maintenance on radio for their interpretation. Perhaps some changes could be made to this section of MEL to improve clarity.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING MLG ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE LEADING EDGE DEVICES POS INDICATING SYS DEFERRED IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: INCORRECTLY INTERPED LEADING EDGE FLAP/SLAT POS INDICATOR LIGHT PROC IN MEL. DEFERRED ITEM THAT WAS EVIDENTLY NOT DEFERRABLE. CONFERRED WITH DISPATCH AND OTHER PLT. ALL IN AGREEMENT AS TO ABILITY TO DEFER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CONFUSION DUE TO NAME OF PROC IN MEL AND UNCLR VERBIAGE IN THAT SECTION. COMPANY MAINT INITIALLY CONFUSED WITH DISCUSSION OF PROB AT POINT OF LNDG, BUT DISCOVERED ERROR. CORRECTIVE ACTION: MAY HAVE CAUGHT ERROR IF I HAD GOT MAINT ON RADIO. CAUSE/PREVENTION: I THINK THE PROB WAS CAUSED PRIMARILY BY THE WORDING OF THE MEL TITLE AND VERBIAGE IN THAT SECTION. I SHOULD HAVE READ IT MORE CAREFULLY AND CALLED MAINT ON RADIO FOR THEIR INTERP. PERHAPS SOME CHANGES COULD BE MADE TO THIS SECTION OF MEL TO IMPROVE CLARITY.

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.