Narrative:

I arrived on time in pit on flight X with 1 aircraft and was informed at that time that we were to swap into another aircraft and continue our shift on a flight to ckb. Upon inspection of the aircraft discrepancy log, I found 2 MEL items written up which corresponded with the flight release form. Item #1 was a ground power avionics and item #2 was TCASII inoperative. The MEL for the TCASII was incomplete. I found no entry referring to the maintenance item regarding the TCASII MEL, which is to pull and band the circuit breaker for the TCASII. The breaker was pulled but the entry into the aircraft discrepancy log was not made. I called maintenance and discussed the missing entry. I fixed the entry and thought the plane was legal to fly. We took off without any abnormalities. In-flight, the altimeter failed. I decided to continue to clarksburg and call maintenance from there. A few mins later clarksburg approach called and said to call company. Pit operations called and told us about an open write-up and to return to pit. I rechked the aircraft discrepancy log and found the altimeter written up on the following page of the aircraft discrepancy log behind the TCASII write-up, which I thought was blank. We returned to pit and swapped into another aircraft. Failure of maintenance control to notify dispatch and me when I called, knowing full well the aircraft was grounded, was the biggest mistake made. My failure to look at all aircraft discrepancy log pages could have prevented the flight from leaving, but many safeguards along the way failed. I should have never received the aircraft from dispatch. Supplemental information from acn 453970: upon arriving in pit, captain called maintenance control at ict to write up captain's altimeter. I was told this shouldn't be a problem with aircraft from maintenance control. I did some swaps to let aircraft situation for approximately 1 hour 45 mins, with the aircraft having a departure time of XA00, which happens to be the same time of the shift change in dispatch. Another captain was the captain that was planned to take aircraft out of pit. Maintenance did not perform the maintenance required on the aircraft for a legal far part 121 departure. Upon hearing that the plane would be ready to depart, with no additional write-ups, including clearing the aircraft discrepancy log for the altimeter, the captain overlooked the aircraft discrepancy log entry for the altimeter. He received his release and departed. En route, I was told that he realized that he did have an open discrepancy on his aircraft and returned to pit without completing any far part 121 revenue flts. I do not believe dispatch was in error in this incident. The crew that departed pit with open write-up has been scheduled for additional training in the procedures for preflight operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900 CAPT AND HIS DISPATCHER BOTH BLAME EACH OTHER FOR THE DEP OF AN ACFT THAT HAD AN OPEN MAINT DISCREPANCY.

Narrative: I ARRIVED ON TIME IN PIT ON FLT X WITH 1 ACFT AND WAS INFORMED AT THAT TIME THAT WE WERE TO SWAP INTO ANOTHER ACFT AND CONTINUE OUR SHIFT ON A FLT TO CKB. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ACFT DISCREPANCY LOG, I FOUND 2 MEL ITEMS WRITTEN UP WHICH CORRESPONDED WITH THE FLT RELEASE FORM. ITEM #1 WAS A GND PWR AVIONICS AND ITEM #2 WAS TCASII INOP. THE MEL FOR THE TCASII WAS INCOMPLETE. I FOUND NO ENTRY REFERRING TO THE MAINT ITEM REGARDING THE TCASII MEL, WHICH IS TO PULL AND BAND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE TCASII. THE BREAKER WAS PULLED BUT THE ENTRY INTO THE ACFT DISCREPANCY LOG WAS NOT MADE. I CALLED MAINT AND DISCUSSED THE MISSING ENTRY. I FIXED THE ENTRY AND THOUGHT THE PLANE WAS LEGAL TO FLY. WE TOOK OFF WITHOUT ANY ABNORMALITIES. INFLT, THE ALTIMETER FAILED. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO CLARKSBURG AND CALL MAINT FROM THERE. A FEW MINS LATER CLARKSBURG APCH CALLED AND SAID TO CALL COMPANY. PIT OPS CALLED AND TOLD US ABOUT AN OPEN WRITE-UP AND TO RETURN TO PIT. I RECHKED THE ACFT DISCREPANCY LOG AND FOUND THE ALTIMETER WRITTEN UP ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE OF THE ACFT DISCREPANCY LOG BEHIND THE TCASII WRITE-UP, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS BLANK. WE RETURNED TO PIT AND SWAPPED INTO ANOTHER ACFT. FAILURE OF MAINT CTL TO NOTIFY DISPATCH AND ME WHEN I CALLED, KNOWING FULL WELL THE ACFT WAS GNDED, WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE MADE. MY FAILURE TO LOOK AT ALL ACFT DISCREPANCY LOG PAGES COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE FLT FROM LEAVING, BUT MANY SAFEGUARDS ALONG THE WAY FAILED. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER RECEIVED THE ACFT FROM DISPATCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 453970: UPON ARRIVING IN PIT, CAPT CALLED MAINT CTL AT ICT TO WRITE UP CAPT'S ALTIMETER. I WAS TOLD THIS SHOULDN'T BE A PROB WITH ACFT FROM MAINT CTL. I DID SOME SWAPS TO LET ACFT SIT FOR APPROX 1 HR 45 MINS, WITH THE ACFT HAVING A DEP TIME OF XA00, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE SAME TIME OF THE SHIFT CHANGE IN DISPATCH. ANOTHER CAPT WAS THE CAPT THAT WAS PLANNED TO TAKE ACFT OUT OF PIT. MAINT DID NOT PERFORM THE MAINT REQUIRED ON THE ACFT FOR A LEGAL FAR PART 121 DEP. UPON HEARING THAT THE PLANE WOULD BE READY TO DEPART, WITH NO ADDITIONAL WRITE-UPS, INCLUDING CLRING THE ACFT DISCREPANCY LOG FOR THE ALTIMETER, THE CAPT OVERLOOKED THE ACFT DISCREPANCY LOG ENTRY FOR THE ALTIMETER. HE RECEIVED HIS RELEASE AND DEPARTED. ENRTE, I WAS TOLD THAT HE REALIZED THAT HE DID HAVE AN OPEN DISCREPANCY ON HIS ACFT AND RETURNED TO PIT WITHOUT COMPLETING ANY FAR PART 121 REVENUE FLTS. I DO NOT BELIEVE DISPATCH WAS IN ERROR IN THIS INCIDENT. THE CREW THAT DEPARTED PIT WITH OPEN WRITE-UP HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN THE PROCS FOR PREFLT OPS.

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.