A boeing 767-300ER pilot requests clarification of MEL items from the company.

Attributes
ACN	451881
Time
Date	199910
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : egll.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	451881
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft B767-300ER lhr jfk on oct/xa/99. Aircraft on placard MEL high stage bleed valve from 4 days prior gru jfk. First ETOPS leg on oct/xb/99, jfk lhr placards MEL heading inoperative. MEL is confusing and conflicting with these 2 MEL items and definition of flight days regarding ETOPS. Original item, the high stage bleed placarded in gru on sep/ab/99, I believe, then heading placarded on oct/xa/99. Dispatch was confused too and explained that the heading was not required on the south america legs, hence heading, even though inoperative by the bleed valve problem was not placarded until required by the route segment. Under MEL high stage ETOPS paragraph reads for legs that do not require heading a round trip allowed, that already occurred on the return south america leg to jfk on the original placard. It's all very convoluted and confusing the way it is written and implemented.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BOEING 767-300ER PLT REQUESTS CLARIFICATION OF MEL ITEMS FROM THE COMPANY.

Narrative: ACFT B767-300ER LHR JFK ON OCT/XA/99. ACFT ON PLACARD MEL HIGH STAGE BLEED VALVE FROM 4 DAYS PRIOR GRU JFK. FIRST ETOPS LEG ON OCT/XB/99, JFK LHR PLACARDS MEL HEADING INOP. MEL IS CONFUSING AND CONFLICTING WITH THESE 2 MEL ITEMS AND DEFINITION OF FLT DAYS REGARDING ETOPS. ORIGINAL ITEM, THE HIGH STAGE BLEED PLACARDED IN GRU ON SEP/AB/99, I BELIEVE, THEN HEADING PLACARDED ON OCT/XA/99. DISPATCH WAS CONFUSED TOO AND EXPLAINED THAT THE HEADING WAS NOT REQUIRED ON THE SOUTH AMERICA LEGS, HENCE HEADING, EVEN THOUGH INOP BY THE BLEED VALVE PROB WAS NOT PLACARDED UNTIL REQUIRED BY THE RTE SEGMENT. UNDER MEL HIGH STAGE ETOPS PARAGRAPH READS FOR LEGS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE HEADING A ROUND TRIP ALLOWED, THAT ALREADY OCCURRED ON THE RETURN SOUTH AMERICA LEG TO JFK ON THE ORIGINAL PLACARD. IT'S ALL VERY CONVOLUTED AND CONFUSING THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN AND IMPLEMENTED.

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.