B727 flight crew departs mht with inoperative equipment.

Attributes
ACN	441960
Time
Date	199906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mht.airport
State Reference	NH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	441960
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel flow other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

After pushback, we started #3 and #1 engines. On both starts we received no fuel flow indications. However, the engines came to speed normally and subsequent indications were also normal. We started #2 and the same indications were observed. We pulled and reset the circuit breakers with no changes. The captain elected to call maintenance. Maintenance said that he was unable to MEL 2 inoperative fuel flow indicators, but, since we had pushed back, he considered us in-flight and that it would be an en route open logbook item -- with the captain's concurrence. The captain said he was fine with that, and that we would continue. On the way out to the runway, myself and the so told the captain that we thought we still belonged to maintenance and that we were not considered airborne until we released brakes on the takeoff roll. Tower was pushing for takeoff and the captain said he felt safe and wanted our answer. I told the captain that I felt the aircraft was airworthy and safe, but that I didn't think we were technically allowed to go -- I needed time to find that written, but it was his call. He stated that it was his call and that we were going to go. En route we found where it was written that our takeoff was in question. We continued to ord safely and without incident. According to the captain, he had a discussion with maintenance in which they stated that they had provided us with bad information, and they had corrected the problem on their end.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC DEPARTS MHT WITH INOP EQUIP.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK, WE STARTED #3 AND #1 ENGS. ON BOTH STARTS WE RECEIVED NO FUEL FLOW INDICATIONS. HOWEVER, THE ENGS CAME TO SPD NORMALLY AND SUBSEQUENT INDICATIONS WERE ALSO NORMAL. WE STARTED #2 AND THE SAME INDICATIONS WERE OBSERVED. WE PULLED AND RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITH NO CHANGES. THE CAPT ELECTED TO CALL MAINT. MAINT SAID THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MEL 2 INOP FUEL FLOW INDICATORS, BUT, SINCE WE HAD PUSHED BACK, HE CONSIDERED US INFLT AND THAT IT WOULD BE AN ENRTE OPEN LOGBOOK ITEM -- WITH THE CAPT'S CONCURRENCE. THE CAPT SAID HE WAS FINE WITH THAT, AND THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE. ON THE WAY OUT TO THE RWY, MYSELF AND THE SO TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE THOUGHT WE STILL BELONGED TO MAINT AND THAT WE WERE NOT CONSIDERED AIRBORNE UNTIL WE RELEASED BRAKES ON THE TKOF ROLL. TWR WAS PUSHING FOR TKOF AND THE CAPT SAID HE FELT SAFE AND WANTED OUR ANSWER. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I FELT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY AND SAFE, BUT THAT I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE TECHNICALLY ALLOWED TO GO -- I NEEDED TIME TO FIND THAT WRITTEN, BUT IT WAS HIS CALL. HE STATED THAT IT WAS HIS CALL AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO. ENRTE WE FOUND WHERE IT WAS WRITTEN THAT OUR TKOF WAS IN QUESTION. WE CONTINUED TO ORD SAFELY AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE CAPT, HE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH MAINT IN WHICH THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD PROVIDED US WITH BAD INFO, AND THEY HAD CORRECTED THE PROB ON THEIR END.

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.