Medium large transport crew was dispatched with illegal MEL item.

Attributes
ACN	443363
Time
Date	199907
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	443363
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Late arrival at aircraft due to late inbound. Found PA system on MEL and reflected on flight release. PA circuit breaker had been pulled and collared. Aircraft flown from dtw to phl. Then flown from phl to mem. During flight to mem, I was advised that the cockpit to cabin chimes were not working (a requirement for placing PA on MEL). Upon troubleshooting in mem discovered that the chimes were tied to the PA circuit breaker. The circuit breaker had been pulled because a previous write-up complained that the circuit breaker popped. While the circuit breaker should have been pulled for the above reason, the resulting failure of the chimes made the MEL non applicable and the aircraft should not have been flown. I had no time to test the system on the first leg and the need to determine that the MEL had been complied with was forgotten for the second leg (there is no requirement for each leg, I simply had not checked). In addition to the 2 legs I flew the aircraft it had also flown others previously in the same condition. The biggest concern is that I had no way to communicate with my flight attendants in an emergency. Another case of maintenance setting up a crew.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG CREW WAS DISPATCHED WITH ILLEGAL MEL ITEM.

Narrative: LATE ARR AT ACFT DUE TO LATE INBOUND. FOUND PA SYS ON MEL AND REFLECTED ON FLT RELEASE. PA CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BEEN PULLED AND COLLARED. ACFT FLOWN FROM DTW TO PHL. THEN FLOWN FROM PHL TO MEM. DURING FLT TO MEM, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE COCKPIT TO CABIN CHIMES WERE NOT WORKING (A REQUIREMENT FOR PLACING PA ON MEL). UPON TROUBLESHOOTING IN MEM DISCOVERED THAT THE CHIMES WERE TIED TO THE PA CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BEEN PULLED BECAUSE A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP COMPLAINED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. WHILE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED FOR THE ABOVE REASON, THE RESULTING FAILURE OF THE CHIMES MADE THE MEL NON APPLICABLE AND THE ACFT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FLOWN. I HAD NO TIME TO TEST THE SYS ON THE FIRST LEG AND THE NEED TO DETERMINE THAT THE MEL HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH WAS FORGOTTEN FOR THE SECOND LEG (THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR EACH LEG, I SIMPLY HAD NOT CHKED). IN ADDITION TO THE 2 LEGS I FLEW THE ACFT IT HAD ALSO FLOWN OTHERS PREVIOUSLY IN THE SAME CONDITION. THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT I HAD NO WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH MY FLT ATTENDANTS IN AN EMER. ANOTHER CASE OF MAINT SETTING UP A CREW.

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.