A BE1900 was dispatched on a maintenance ferry in non compliance with 1 inverter deferred per the ME...

Attributes
ACN	474143
Time
Date	200005
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	AR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 3400 flight time type : 670
ASRS Report	474143
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On final to xna (an intermediate stop) we had a single inverter failure. We completed the proper emergency procedure for that failure and landed. We let all of the passenger off the plane until we knew for sure what we were going to do. The captain called maintenance and dispatch. A decision was made to repos the airplane to mci. The captain told me that we would fly to mci empty, during daylight in VMC under part far 91. He then told me the MEL number for our problem. The captain stressed that we needed to leave as soon as possible in order to arrive at mci during daylight hours. I helped unload the baggage and personal items left on the plane. The captain and I departed immediately after the airplane was unloaded without any passenger or cargo and with a new release stating the MEL item. We flew on the IFR flight plan that dispatch had filed for us in VMC. We arrived at mci during daylight and under VMC conditions. The aircraft has 2 inverters. The MEL allows 1 inverter to be deferred for dispatch provided the following conditions are complied with: the flight is under day VFR with no passenger or cargo. The captain came up to me later stating he had misinterped the definitions of VMC and VFR in the MEL. The captain thought the 2 had the same meaning. We should not have accepted the IFR clearance and instead filed a VFR flight plan.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900 WAS DISPATCHED ON A MAINT FERRY IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH 1 INVERTER DEFERRED PER THE MEL AS INOP BUT FLT WAS OPERATED WITH IFR FLT PLAN IN CONFLICT WITH MEL REQUIREMENT DAY VFR ONLY.

Narrative: ON FINAL TO XNA (AN INTERMEDIATE STOP) WE HAD A SINGLE INVERTER FAILURE. WE COMPLETED THE PROPER EMER PROC FOR THAT FAILURE AND LANDED. WE LET ALL OF THE PAX OFF THE PLANE UNTIL WE KNEW FOR SURE WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO. THE CAPT CALLED MAINT AND DISPATCH. A DECISION WAS MADE TO REPOS THE AIRPLANE TO MCI. THE CAPT TOLD ME THAT WE WOULD FLY TO MCI EMPTY, DURING DAYLIGHT IN VMC UNDER PART FAR 91. HE THEN TOLD ME THE MEL NUMBER FOR OUR PROB. THE CAPT STRESSED THAT WE NEEDED TO LEAVE ASAP IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT MCI DURING DAYLIGHT HRS. I HELPED UNLOAD THE BAGGAGE AND PERSONAL ITEMS LEFT ON THE PLANE. THE CAPT AND I DEPARTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS UNLOADED WITHOUT ANY PAX OR CARGO AND WITH A NEW RELEASE STATING THE MEL ITEM. WE FLEW ON THE IFR FLT PLAN THAT DISPATCH HAD FILED FOR US IN VMC. WE ARRIVED AT MCI DURING DAYLIGHT AND UNDER VMC CONDITIONS. THE ACFT HAS 2 INVERTERS. THE MEL ALLOWS 1 INVERTER TO BE DEFERRED FOR DISPATCH PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE COMPLIED WITH: THE FLT IS UNDER DAY VFR WITH NO PAX OR CARGO. THE CAPT CAME UP TO ME LATER STATING HE HAD MISINTERPED THE DEFINITIONS OF VMC AND VFR IN THE MEL. THE CAPT THOUGHT THE 2 HAD THE SAME MEANING. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE IFR CLRNC AND INSTEAD FILED A VFR FLT PLAN.

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.

A BE1900 was dispatched on a maintenance ferry in non compliance with 1 inverter deferred per the MEL as inoperative but flight was operated with IFR flight plan in conflict with MEL requirement day VFR only.