Narrative:

Flight cancelled. Why. WX or what. As captain, I was not consulted. Flight arrived with first officer windshield wiper inoperative per MEL, not to be dispatched with rain within 5 NM. Dispatcher cancelled flight, but stated to me his radar did not have a 5 NM scale. So, I stated a PIREP that was within operations limits. As captain. I am required to make many WX calls, ie, condition of runway slush/ice/snow IFR/VFR and on and on. I take exception to this type call in flight operation. Given the fact that a radar used to make this call did not have a 5 NM scale. In addition, I, as captain of this flight, was informed of the flight cancellation by a passenger on his cell phone as he was speaking to an air carrier representative about our delay.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 TRIP WITH A DEFERRED ITEM ON THE FO'S WINDSHIELD WIPER IS CANCELED BY DISPATCH WITHOUT ADVISING THE CAPT. CAPT INSISTS ACFT CAN MEET MEL LIMITS.

Narrative: FLT CANCELLED. WHY. WX OR WHAT. AS CAPT, I WAS NOT CONSULTED. FLT ARRIVED WITH FO WINDSHIELD WIPER INOP PER MEL, NOT TO BE DISPATCHED WITH RAIN WITHIN 5 NM. DISPATCHER CANCELLED FLT, BUT STATED TO ME HIS RADAR DID NOT HAVE A 5 NM SCALE. SO, I STATED A PIREP THAT WAS WITHIN OPS LIMITS. AS CAPT. I AM REQUIRED TO MAKE MANY WX CALLS, IE, CONDITION OF RWY SLUSH/ICE/SNOW IFR/VFR AND ON AND ON. I TAKE EXCEPTION TO THIS TYPE CALL IN FLT OP. GIVEN THE FACT THAT A RADAR USED TO MAKE THIS CALL DID NOT HAVE A 5 NM SCALE. IN ADDITION, I, AS CAPT OF THIS FLT, WAS INFORMED OF THE FLT CANCELLATION BY A PAX ON HIS CELL PHONE AS HE WAS SPEAKING TO AN ACR REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT OUR DELAY.

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.