Narrative:

Aircraft was dispatched with autobrakes inoperative. The first officer consulted the MEL and read out loud the flight crew operating procedures, and also mentioned a maintenance procedure (ddg) associated with the MEL. Neither of us paid particular attention to the 'ddg,' as that is a maintenance function. Also, the MEL placard in the aircraft logbook has a box that is supposed to be checked if an inspection is required before flight. This box was not checked. We departed on time, and while en route I paged back through the logbook for other reasons. I already knew that the maintenance release had been signed in tpa that morning and that the 'ddg' for the MEL had been accomplished at that time. While paging back further, I noted that a log entry documenting accomplishment of the 'ddg' had been made prior to every flight since the autobrakes had been placed on MEL. I looked up the MEL in the book again, and, sure enough, that 'ddg' was to be done prior to each flight. Although it is the responsibility of maintenance to perform the procedure, it is my responsibility to refuse the aircraft until the procedure is performed and documented in the logbook. This was not done for this flight. Contributing to my oversight was the fact that the box on the MEL placard indicating the requirement of a preflight 'ddg' was not checked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLC FAILS TO NOTE THAT AN MEL REQUIRED PREFLT PROC FOR AN INOP AUTOBRAKES SYS WAS NOT CONDUCTED BY MAINT ON THE ACFT PRIOR TO THEIR PREFLT AT MEM, TN.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH AUTOBRAKES INOP. THE FO CONSULTED THE MEL AND READ OUT LOUD THE FLC OPERATING PROCS, AND ALSO MENTIONED A MAINT PROC (DDG) ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEL. NEITHER OF US PAID PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE 'DDG,' AS THAT IS A MAINT FUNCTION. ALSO, THE MEL PLACARD IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK HAS A BOX THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE CHKED IF AN INSPECTION IS REQUIRED BEFORE FLT. THIS BOX WAS NOT CHKED. WE DEPARTED ON TIME, AND WHILE ENRTE I PAGED BACK THROUGH THE LOGBOOK FOR OTHER REASONS. I ALREADY KNEW THAT THE MAINT RELEASE HAD BEEN SIGNED IN TPA THAT MORNING AND THAT THE 'DDG' FOR THE MEL HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AT THAT TIME. WHILE PAGING BACK FURTHER, I NOTED THAT A LOG ENTRY DOCUMENTING ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE 'DDG' HAD BEEN MADE PRIOR TO EVERY FLT SINCE THE AUTOBRAKES HAD BEEN PLACED ON MEL. I LOOKED UP THE MEL IN THE BOOK AGAIN, AND, SURE ENOUGH, THAT 'DDG' WAS TO BE DONE PRIOR TO EACH FLT. ALTHOUGH IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAINT TO PERFORM THE PROC, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO REFUSE THE ACFT UNTIL THE PROC IS PERFORMED AND DOCUMENTED IN THE LOGBOOK. THIS WAS NOT DONE FOR THIS FLT. CONTRIBUTING TO MY OVERSIGHT WAS THE FACT THAT THE BOX ON THE MEL PLACARD INDICATING THE REQUIREMENT OF A PREFLT 'DDG' WAS NOT CHKED.

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.