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A B757-200 was dispatched in non compliance with the autobrake system deferred inoperative with the wrong MEL reference and required special procedures not accomplished.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 457091 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199912 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sju.airport |
| State Reference | PR |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked ground : maintenance |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 457091 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other |
| ASRS Report | 457118 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : auto brake arming other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : training performance deficiency : unqualified personnel |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Publication | Minimum Equipment List |
Narrative:
On taxi out of sju, when captain went to arm the autobrakes for takeoff the selector would not remain in the rejected takeoff position and the autobrake light illuminated. We pulled into the holding area to check the aircraft MEL. After captain referred to the MEL, he determined that we could not crew placard the autobrakes. Captain then called dispatch and tulsa technician to inform them of our situation. Maintenance technician then told captain that we could crew placard the autobrakes and directed him to another chapter of the MEL. This section of the MEL stated that the crew could placard the autobrakes. Maintenance technician, captain and dispatch all concurred that we could dispatch the aircraft in its current condition. We departed sju. When we reached cruise altitude captain was filling out the necessary paperwork to complete the crew placarding. He then became unsure as to whether crew placarding was allowed in this situation. Even though he had described the aircraft condition to maintenance technician in detail, including the fact that the autobrake light was illuminated, it appeared that maintenance technician had given him incorrect information. When we landed in bdl captain called maintenance technician again to clarify the situation, and was told by a different technician that in that particular situation the MEL did not allow crew placarding. When captain asked why someone in maintenance technician would give him inaccurate information regarding the MEL, the technician stated, that guy is an idiot. Apparently not everyone in maintenance is well versed on the MEL. Something that came as a surprise to everyone involved was a little surprised by the fact that someone in maintenance would mislead the crew and dispatch regarding an MEL item. I had always in my mind thought of maintenance technician as the experts in the MEL/maintenance department. However, this situation has proven me wrong.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUTOBRAKE SYS DEFERRED INOP WITH THE WRONG MEL REF AND REQUIRED SPECIAL PROCS NOT ACCOMPLISHED.
Narrative: ON TAXI OUT OF SJU, WHEN CAPT WENT TO ARM THE AUTOBRAKES FOR TKOF THE SELECTOR WOULD NOT REMAIN IN THE REJECTED TKOF POS AND THE AUTOBRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE PULLED INTO THE HOLDING AREA TO CHK THE ACFT MEL. AFTER CAPT REFERRED TO THE MEL, HE DETERMINED THAT WE COULD NOT CREW PLACARD THE AUTOBRAKES. CAPT THEN CALLED DISPATCH AND TULSA TECHNICIAN TO INFORM THEM OF OUR SIT. MAINT TECHNICIAN THEN TOLD CAPT THAT WE COULD CREW PLACARD THE AUTOBRAKES AND DIRECTED HIM TO ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE MEL. THIS SECTION OF THE MEL STATED THAT THE CREW COULD PLACARD THE AUTOBRAKES. MAINT TECHNICIAN, CAPT AND DISPATCH ALL CONCURRED THAT WE COULD DISPATCH THE ACFT IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. WE DEPARTED SJU. WHEN WE REACHED CRUISE ALT CAPT WAS FILLING OUT THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK TO COMPLETE THE CREW PLACARDING. HE THEN BECAME UNSURE AS TO WHETHER CREW PLACARDING WAS ALLOWED IN THIS SIT. EVEN THOUGH HE HAD DESCRIBED THE ACFT CONDITION TO MAINT TECHNICIAN IN DETAIL, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT THE AUTOBRAKE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, IT APPEARED THAT MAINT TECHNICIAN HAD GIVEN HIM INCORRECT INFO. WHEN WE LANDED IN BDL CAPT CALLED MAINT TECHNICIAN AGAIN TO CLARIFY THE SIT, AND WAS TOLD BY A DIFFERENT TECHNICIAN THAT IN THAT PARTICULAR SIT THE MEL DID NOT ALLOW CREW PLACARDING. WHEN CAPT ASKED WHY SOMEONE IN MAINT TECHNICIAN WOULD GIVE HIM INACCURATE INFO REGARDING THE MEL, THE TECHNICIAN STATED, THAT GUY IS AN IDIOT. APPARENTLY NOT EVERYONE IN MAINT IS WELL VERSED ON THE MEL. SOMETHING THAT CAME AS A SURPRISE TO EVERYONE INVOLVED WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED BY THE FACT THAT SOMEONE IN MAINT WOULD MISLEAD THE CREW AND DISPATCH REGARDING AN MEL ITEM. I HAD ALWAYS IN MY MIND THOUGHT OF MAINT TECHNICIAN AS THE EXPERTS IN THE MEL/MAINT DEPT. HOWEVER, THIS SIT HAS PROVEN ME WRONG.
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.