Narrative:

First officer and I reported for duty in XXX. While looking at paperwork we noted a small slat track fairing was missing and had been deferred for approximately 2 weeks. We noted the placard information that referenced paperwork for appropriate weight penalties. I checked dispatch release had appropriate penalties applied. We flew flight from XXX to YYY uneventful. For return flight to XXX, we had an FAA maintenance inspector on the jump seat. Everything seemed routine as he checked our paperwork. I noticed the inspector copying the deferred language, word for word, on a piece of paper. This took him about 5 mins. Then, about 15 mins prior to our scheduled departure, he said 'do you know that this airplane is not legal for dispatch?' I did not! He handed me the maintenance document and I read over it very slowly looking for what could be possibly out of order. First I noticed that a placard was to be applied on the instrument panel. I saw a placard in the logbook but missed that it should have been on the panel. He also pointed out that there was no record of an inspection of the missing slat track panel at 'first maintenance opportunity.' he was correct. I did not read the deferral as closely as I should have. This was in part because it had been 13 days since maintenance had supposedly deferred it. The airplane had flown nearly 70 legs since first reported. I read the placarded information closely and was satisfied that the appropriate weight penalties were applied and that there was no other crew action required. I contacted our maintenance people to get the problem fixed. Maintenance did some more research and told me that it was illegally deferred and had been for the 13 days. In fact, the piece that was missing from the #6 slat track was not covered by the deferral. It was about 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inch square panel and was later determined not to cause any performance penalties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MLG COMMERCIAL FIXED WING ACFT WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED WITH AN IMPROPERLY DEFERRED #6 SLAT PANEL MISSING.

Narrative: FO AND I RPTED FOR DUTY IN XXX. WHILE LOOKING AT PAPERWORK WE NOTED A SMALL SLAT TRACK FAIRING WAS MISSING AND HAD BEEN DEFERRED FOR APPROX 2 WKS. WE NOTED THE PLACARD INFO THAT REFED PAPERWORK FOR APPROPRIATE WT PENALTIES. I CHKED DISPATCH RELEASE HAD APPROPRIATE PENALTIES APPLIED. WE FLEW FLT FROM XXX TO YYY UNEVENTFUL. FOR RETURN FLT TO XXX, WE HAD AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR ON THE JUMP SEAT. EVERYTHING SEEMED ROUTINE AS HE CHKED OUR PAPERWORK. I NOTICED THE INSPECTOR COPYING THE DEFERRED LANGUAGE, WORD FOR WORD, ON A PIECE OF PAPER. THIS TOOK HIM ABOUT 5 MINS. THEN, ABOUT 15 MINS PRIOR TO OUR SCHEDULED DEP, HE SAID 'DO YOU KNOW THAT THIS AIRPLANE IS NOT LEGAL FOR DISPATCH?' I DID NOT! HE HANDED ME THE MAINT DOCUMENT AND I READ OVER IT VERY SLOWLY LOOKING FOR WHAT COULD BE POSSIBLY OUT OF ORDER. FIRST I NOTICED THAT A PLACARD WAS TO BE APPLIED ON THE INST PANEL. I SAW A PLACARD IN THE LOGBOOK BUT MISSED THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE PANEL. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS NO RECORD OF AN INSPECTION OF THE MISSING SLAT TRACK PANEL AT 'FIRST MAINT OPPORTUNITY.' HE WAS CORRECT. I DID NOT READ THE DEFERRAL AS CLOSELY AS I SHOULD HAVE. THIS WAS IN PART BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN 13 DAYS SINCE MAINT HAD SUPPOSEDLY DEFERRED IT. THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN NEARLY 70 LEGS SINCE FIRST RPTED. I READ THE PLACARDED INFO CLOSELY AND WAS SATISFIED THAT THE APPROPRIATE WT PENALTIES WERE APPLIED AND THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER CREW ACTION REQUIRED. I CONTACTED OUR MAINT PEOPLE TO GET THE PROB FIXED. MAINT DID SOME MORE RESEARCH AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS ILLEGALLY DEFERRED AND HAD BEEN FOR THE 13 DAYS. IN FACT, THE PIECE THAT WAS MISSING FROM THE #6 SLAT TRACK WAS NOT COVERED BY THE DEFERRAL. IT WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 INCH BY 1 1/2 INCH SQUARE PANEL AND WAS LATER DETERMINED NOT TO CAUSE ANY PERFORMANCE PENALTIES.

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.