Narrative:

After gate departure but before takeoff an aircraft system malfunction occurred which was not flight crew placardable. During taxi back to the gate we contacted ZZZ dispatch and informed them of the problem. Dispatch told the captain that the MEL did not apply after gate departure and to refer to the operating manual. In doing so the operating manual steps were complied with and the flight subsequently continued to ord. Upon closer inspection of the MEL general the captain determined the MEL had been violated because it did indeed apply to malfunctions after gate departure. Captain called dispatch upon arrival to ord and informed them of the error and poor advice. Captain is now very aware the aircraft should have returned to the gate because the item was listed as not flight crew placardable. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a fokker 100 with rolls royce tay 650 engines and the problem was the pneumatic bleed shutoff valve intermittent operation and position indication. The reporter said the failure of the position indication or the failure of the valve or both was in question. The reporter said the maintenance controller and dispatch were contacted while still on the ground and advised of the bleed valve situation. The reporter stated maintenance advised the airplane was off the gate and the crew could defer the item and placard the system as inoperative. The reporter said the bleed valve was switched to off and the trip departed. The reporter said none of the parties involved, flight crew, dispatcher and maintenance controller considered the MEL special procedures which required the valve to be locked closed prior to flight. The reporter admitted the error in not reading and adhering to the special procedures but believed dispatch and maintenance also made a bad call.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FOKKER 100 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN ENG PNEUMATIC BLEED VALVE DEFERRED AS INOP BUT WITHOUT MEL SPECIAL PROCS ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: AFTER GATE DEP BUT BEFORE TKOF AN ACFT SYS MALFUNCTION OCCURRED WHICH WAS NOT FLC PLACARDABLE. DURING TAXI BACK TO THE GATE WE CONTACTED ZZZ DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROB. DISPATCH TOLD THE CAPT THAT THE MEL DID NOT APPLY AFTER GATE DEP AND TO REFER TO THE OPERATING MANUAL. IN DOING SO THE OPERATING MANUAL STEPS WERE COMPLIED WITH AND THE FLT SUBSEQUENTLY CONTINUED TO ORD. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE MEL GENERAL THE CAPT DETERMINED THE MEL HAD BEEN VIOLATED BECAUSE IT DID INDEED APPLY TO MALFUNCTIONS AFTER GATE DEP. CAPT CALLED DISPATCH UPON ARR TO ORD AND INFORMED THEM OF THE ERROR AND POOR ADVICE. CAPT IS NOW VERY AWARE THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GATE BECAUSE THE ITEM WAS LISTED AS NOT FLC PLACARDABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A FOKKER 100 WITH ROLLS ROYCE TAY 650 ENGS AND THE PROB WAS THE PNEUMATIC BLEED SHUTOFF VALVE INTERMITTENT OP AND POS INDICATION. THE RPTR SAID THE FAILURE OF THE POS INDICATION OR THE FAILURE OF THE VALVE OR BOTH WAS IN QUESTION. THE RPTR SAID THE MAINT CTLR AND DISPATCH WERE CONTACTED WHILE STILL ON THE GND AND ADVISED OF THE BLEED VALVE SIT. THE RPTR STATED MAINT ADVISED THE AIRPLANE WAS OFF THE GATE AND THE CREW COULD DEFER THE ITEM AND PLACARD THE SYS AS INOP. THE RPTR SAID THE BLEED VALVE WAS SWITCHED TO OFF AND THE TRIP DEPARTED. THE RPTR SAID NONE OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED, FLC, DISPATCHER AND MAINT CTLR CONSIDERED THE MEL SPECIAL PROCS WHICH REQUIRED THE VALVE TO BE LOCKED CLOSED PRIOR TO FLT. THE RPTR ADMITTED THE ERROR IN NOT READING AND ADHERING TO THE SPECIAL PROCS BUT BELIEVED DISPATCH AND MAINT ALSO MADE A BAD CALL.

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.