An MD11 cargo flight crew departs with their aircraft when they are confused by the checklist review...

Attributes
ACN	471564
Time
Date	200004
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : takeoff roll ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8600 flight time type : 2700
ASRS Report	471564
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cfdu other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company
Situations
Publication	CHECK LISTS

Narrative:

Aircraft type is a mcdonnell douglas MD11. This aircraft is of the advanced cockpit design, with automated system to eliminate an flight engineer. Part of its design philosophy is that whenever one of its system controllers detects a fault in any of its components, an 'alert' is displayed to the flight crew. My airline's philosophy in training for this aircraft is it is 'alert driven,' ie, whenever an alert is displayed to the crew, we are to refer to our abnormal/emergency procedures checklist. This manual contains a list of all of the alerts, with possible consequences, then refers to the appropriate checklist. During taxi-out for departure, we received 2 'level 1' alerts on the synoptic display, for 'autoplt single' and 'single land.' we consulted the emergency/abnormal procedures checklist and found that the 'autoplt single' alert is listed as a 'maintenance item, with consequences listed as 'none.' per our company's operations manual, we contacted our dispatch office, and to notify them that the aircraft is downgraded from a 'CAT 3' to a 'CAT 2' airplane. After takeoff, we again reviewed the abnormals checklist, then the MEL. The MEL shows that the autoflt system as a 'flagged' item, requiring a 'maintenance turn back.' ie, a maintenance procedure is required prior to takeoff. I feel that the current wording in our abnormal procedures manual led us to make this mistake, as this alert is listed as a 'maintenance' item, not as a 'no takeoff' item. To help prevent this mistake from happening again, any alert leading to an MEL 'flagged' item should be defined as a 'no takeoff' item, with verbiage directing the crew to 'refer to MEL' next to such item. In fact, the earlier versions of our abnormals checklist contained a separate list of 'no takeoff' items, which really made these events a 'no brainer' in this type of situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 CARGO FLC DEPARTS WITH THEIR ACFT WHEN THEY ARE CONFUSED BY THE CHKLIST REVIEW READOUT ON THE CENTRALIZED FAULT DISPLAY UNIT. THE REFERRED CHKLISTS DO NOT AGREE WITH THE MANDATES OF THEIR MEL REQUIREMENTS AT MEM, TN.

Narrative: ACFT TYPE IS A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD11. THIS ACFT IS OF THE ADVANCED COCKPIT DESIGN, WITH AUTOMATED SYS TO ELIMINATE AN FE. PART OF ITS DESIGN PHILOSOPHY IS THAT WHENEVER ONE OF ITS SYS CTLRS DETECTS A FAULT IN ANY OF ITS COMPONENTS, AN 'ALERT' IS DISPLAYED TO THE FLC. MY AIRLINE'S PHILOSOPHY IN TRAINING FOR THIS ACFT IS IT IS 'ALERT DRIVEN,' IE, WHENEVER AN ALERT IS DISPLAYED TO THE CREW, WE ARE TO REFER TO OUR ABNORMAL/EMER PROCS CHKLIST. THIS MANUAL CONTAINS A LIST OF ALL OF THE ALERTS, WITH POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES, THEN REFERS TO THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST. DURING TAXI-OUT FOR DEP, WE RECEIVED 2 'LEVEL 1' ALERTS ON THE SYNOPTIC DISPLAY, FOR 'AUTOPLT SINGLE' AND 'SINGLE LAND.' WE CONSULTED THE EMER/ABNORMAL PROCS CHKLIST AND FOUND THAT THE 'AUTOPLT SINGLE' ALERT IS LISTED AS A 'MAINT ITEM, WITH CONSEQUENCES LISTED AS 'NONE.' PER OUR COMPANY'S OPS MANUAL, WE CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH OFFICE, AND TO NOTIFY THEM THAT THE ACFT IS DOWNGRADED FROM A 'CAT 3' TO A 'CAT 2' AIRPLANE. AFTER TKOF, WE AGAIN REVIEWED THE ABNORMALS CHKLIST, THEN THE MEL. THE MEL SHOWS THAT THE AUTOFLT SYS AS A 'FLAGGED' ITEM, REQUIRING A 'MAINT TURN BACK.' IE, A MAINT PROC IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO TKOF. I FEEL THAT THE CURRENT WORDING IN OUR ABNORMAL PROCS MANUAL LED US TO MAKE THIS MISTAKE, AS THIS ALERT IS LISTED AS A 'MAINT' ITEM, NOT AS A 'NO TKOF' ITEM. TO HELP PREVENT THIS MISTAKE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, ANY ALERT LEADING TO AN MEL 'FLAGGED' ITEM SHOULD BE DEFINED AS A 'NO TKOF' ITEM, WITH VERBIAGE DIRECTING THE CREW TO 'REFER TO MEL' NEXT TO SUCH ITEM. IN FACT, THE EARLIER VERSIONS OF OUR ABNORMALS CHKLIST CONTAINED A SEPARATE LIST OF 'NO TKOF' ITEMS, WHICH REALLY MADE THESE EVENTS A 'NO BRAINER' IN THIS TYPE OF SIT.

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.

An MD11 cargo flight crew departs with their aircraft when they are confused by the checklist review readout on the centralized fault display unit. The referred checklists do not agree with the mandates of their MEL requirements at mem, tn.