A DC9-31 was dispatched in non compliance with the autoplt inoperative and not placarded per the MEL...

Attributes
ACN	435254
Time
Date	199903
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance technician : 15
ASRS Report	435254
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : aci
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

On mar/xa/99 air carrier aircraft xyz departed ZZZ on a revenue flight after maintenance was performed on the autoplt system. A review of the aircraft logbook indicated that I placed the autoplt and CAT ii system on MEL. A preliminary investigation revealed that proper procedures for returning the aircraft to service were not followed as prescribed in air carrier maintenance policies manual. I have had no avionics training. Since I am not qualified to work avionics problems I am rarely assigned to aircraft with avionics problems. I have had very little experience in placing MEL's on avionics system. After receiving this letter I looked through the maintenance policies manual to see what I did wrong. There are several sections dealing with CAT ii and CAT ii. I found these sections rather confusing, perhaps due to inexperience, however, at the time I thought I had accomplished the correct procedure. I now see that I failed to make the statement 'removed aircraft from CAT ii certification' when I placed it on MEL in the work accomplished column of the logbook.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-31 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUTOPLT INOP AND NOT PLACARDED PER THE MEL PROCS.

Narrative: ON MAR/XA/99 ACR ACFT XYZ DEPARTED ZZZ ON A REVENUE FLT AFTER MAINT WAS PERFORMED ON THE AUTOPLT SYS. A REVIEW OF THE ACFT LOGBOOK INDICATED THAT I PLACED THE AUTOPLT AND CAT II SYS ON MEL. A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT PROPER PROCS FOR RETURNING THE ACFT TO SVC WERE NOT FOLLOWED AS PRESCRIBED IN ACR MAINT POLICIES MANUAL. I HAVE HAD NO AVIONICS TRAINING. SINCE I AM NOT QUALIFIED TO WORK AVIONICS PROBS I AM RARELY ASSIGNED TO ACFT WITH AVIONICS PROBS. I HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN PLACING MEL'S ON AVIONICS SYS. AFTER RECEIVING THIS LETTER I LOOKED THROUGH THE MAINT POLICIES MANUAL TO SEE WHAT I DID WRONG. THERE ARE SEVERAL SECTIONS DEALING WITH CAT II AND CAT II. I FOUND THESE SECTIONS RATHER CONFUSING, PERHAPS DUE TO INEXPERIENCE, HOWEVER, AT THE TIME I THOUGHT I HAD ACCOMPLISHED THE CORRECT PROC. I NOW SEE THAT I FAILED TO MAKE THE STATEMENT 'REMOVED ACFT FROM CAT II CERTIFICATION' WHEN I PLACED IT ON MEL IN THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED COLUMN OF THE LOGBOOK.

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.

A DC9-31 was dispatched in non compliance with the autoplt inoperative and not placarded per the MEL procedures.